Azerbaijan sentences Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years in prison

Tuesday 17 February 2026 - 10:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Azerbaijan sentences Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years in prison

An Azerbaijani military court on Tuesday sentenced Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian born billionaire and former senior official in the separatist administration of Nagorno Karabakh, to 20 years in prison, according to state media and Reuters. The ruling was delivered by the Baku Military Court after prosecutors had sought a life sentence for the 57 year old businessman, who served as state minister of the self proclaimed authorities from November 2022 to February 2023.

Vardanyan was convicted on dozens of charges under Azerbaijan’s criminal code, including crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, terrorism, financing terrorism and illegal border crossing. His case was tried separately from that of 15 other former Karabakh leaders. The proceedings have drawn criticism from human rights organizations, which cited alleged procedural violations and a lack of transparency.

In a final statement delivered on February 10, Vardanyan rejected what he described as a “judicial farce” and instructed his court appointed lawyer not to present any defense arguments. During a phone call with his family, he said he had barred his lawyer from mounting a defense because he did not consider the court legitimate, characterizing the process as a staged trial.

Despite objections from the presiding judge, Vardanyan addressed the court briefly, focusing his remarks on dignity and peace. He reportedly repeated three times that “Artsakh has existed, Artsakh exists and Artsakh will exist,” using the Armenian name for Nagorno Karabakh. He stated that he did not fear the verdict and was prepared to accept the outcome calmly.

The sentence follows earlier verdicts this month against 13 other former Karabakh officials. On February 5, five defendants, including former leader Arayik Harutyunyan, were sentenced to life imprisonment, while eight others received prison terms ranging from 15 to 20 years.

Vardanyan was arrested at an Azerbaijani checkpoint in September 2023 as he attempted to enter Armenia, amid the mass departure of around 100,000 ethnic Armenians after Azerbaijan regained control of the region through a military operation. During his detention, he conducted two hunger strikes in protest at what he described as abusive conditions and unfair legal procedures.

Amnesty International had urged Azerbaijani authorities to ensure Vardanyan’s right to a fair trial, pointing to his allegations of mistreatment in custody, coercion to sign falsified documents and insufficient time to prepare his defense. Human Rights Watch has also documented a broader crackdown on independent media and civil society in Azerbaijan, describing the country’s human rights record as troubling.