ArmInfo. The Baku court granted one of two motions filed by the former state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, businessman and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, Azerbaijani media reports.
It is noted that Vardanyan's case was considered at a separate session; he is accused of torture, mercenarism, violation of the laws and customs of war, terrorism, financing terrorism and other crimes.
At the same time, Vardanyan filed two motions. One of them was to combine the illegally initiated case against Vardanyan with the case against 15 Armenians, also accused of fabricated crimes.
The other motion concerned providing Vardanyan with additional time to familiarize himself with the case materials.
The court rejected the motion to combine his case with the main one. He was given additional time - 10 days to familiarize himself with the case materials. The preparatory court hearing on the fabricated cases against Vardanyan will continue on January 27, and against the former leaders of Artsakh - on January 21.
On January 17, under the chairmanship of Judge Zeynal Agayev, the Baku Military Court will consider the "indictment" against the former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh. Among the accused are three former presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh: Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan and Arayik Harutyunyan. Also appearing before the court will be former Foreign Minister David Babayan, Speaker of the Parliament David Ishkhanyan, former Commander of the Defense Army General Levon Mnatsakanyan, General David Manukyan and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan.
The day before, Vardanyan made a statement in which he demanded that he and his lawyer be given the opportunity to fully prepare for the defense; that all violations and falsifications be eliminated; that the trial of him and all the other accused be made public. "I insist on a maximally open trial with the participation of international journalists and representatives of humanitarian organizations. I am convinced that only a real court, and not a trial, will help take a step forward on the difficult path of building new relations between our peoples," he emphasized.
In conclusion, he demanded that his case be combined with the cases of other defendants. "More than 400 volumes of my case out of 422 are episodes of a common case. Separating my case into a separate proceeding is an artificial and unfounded decision," Vardanyan added.