In Azerbaijan, the court rejected the defense's motions in the case of Ruben Vardanyan

At the hearing of the Baku Military Court on the case of former State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Ruben Vardanyan, he and his lawyer again protested against the composition of the panel of judges.

According to the lawyer, the protocol of the hearing does not reflect the court's attitude to the motions of the defense. In this regard, the lawyer and the former State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh demanded that they recuse themselves. The court left their protest without consideration. Ruben Vardanyan's American lawyer Jared Genser previously spoke in the US Congress and called on the presidential administration to put pressure on Baku.

Former Russian citizen, major businessman, billionaire Vardanyan was detained by Azerbaijani security forces on September 27, 2023, while trying to leave Nagorno-Karabakh for Armenia. He is being tried for mercenarism, financing terrorism, attempting to seize power, as well as other criminal charges. The Karabakh leader may face life imprisonment. He went on hunger strike twice in the pretrial detention center. Other high-ranking officials of Nagorno-Karabakh are also in the dock.

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