Ruben Vardanyan`s lawyer reveals significant legal issues in   indictment materials presented by Azerbaijani side

ArmInfo. The lawyer of former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, Avraham Berman, has revealed  a number of significant  legal issues in the materials presented by the Azerbaijani side that require thorough judicial examination,  as stated in a message distributed by the philanthropist's family, which includes the lawyer's comments on the indictment.  Vardanyan's lawyer  drew attention to the fact that, according  to Article 7 of the  Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, only a person who is  found guilty of committing a crime may be held criminally liable. He  also emphasized that  Criminal liability can only arise for acts that  the individual in question actually committed, at a specific time and  place, and under conditions that made it possible for them to carry  out such acts.

  Additionally, Berman recalled that The Republic of Azerbaijan is a  party to the European Convention on Human Rights, which imposes  certain obligations to uphold standards of fair trial. " Failure to  adhere to these standards calls into question the legitimacy of the  judicial process and may result in the violation of the defendant's  fundamental rights," the lawyer noted.  In this vein, he drew  attention to the fact  that according to this principle, charitable  and humanitarian activities-including the restoration of cultural  heritage sites and the provision of social assistance to the  population-cannot be classified as unlawful in the absence of  established legal violations and proven criminal intent. Berman  emphasized that. Attempts to portray lawful public activities as  criminal contradict the foundations of the rule of law.

"The prosecution has failed to adequately consider fundamental  principles of criminal law, including the requirement to establish a  direct causal link between the defendant's actions and their alleged  consequences, as well as the need to demonstrate the subjective  element (mens rea) of each specific crime. As legal counsel, guided  by the principles of professional ethics and constitutional  guarantees of the right to defense, I will continue to consistently  advocate for strict adherence to the principle of legality within the  framework of the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan during the  consideration of this case," Vardanyan's lawyer concluded.