Ruben Vardanyan  explains his  refusal to hire a lawyer

ArmInfo.  Philanthropist and former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan,  held in Baku for the third year, in a message  to his family, has  explained his refusal to hire lawyer Avraham Berman due to the lack  of working conditions and legal violations.

"During the court hearing on October 21, I announced my decision to  refuse  the services of my lawyer, Avraham Berman. This decision was  forced. Gross violations of international and Azerbaijani judicial  law during the current trial have turned the hearings into an  outright farce. Under these circumstances, all procedural avenues for  the defense have been exhausted over the past months," Vardanyan  stated.

He noted that he was not allowed to review the case materials or the  indictment. "I am still being denied access to the materials: I still  cannot access 422 volumes of my case file, and the court has not  provided an official translation of key procedural documents.

I was denied the opportunity to defend myself in court. I was unable  to exchange documents with my lawyer to prepare for court hearings  without restrictions and prior review, and I was denied access to  audio and video materials. All my previous petitions were ignored by  the investigative bodies and the court.  Important requests from my  lawyer, essential for a fair trial, also went unanswered.

Another reason for my rejection of a lawyer in protest against the  staged trial was the court's refusal to summon witnesses capable of  clarifying the circumstances of the case and confirming facts  relevant to the defense. The court denied this petition, thereby  completely depriving the trial of any traces of objectivity and  fairness.

Over time, the situation only worsened. In this theater of the  absurd, the role of a lawyer, regardless of their desires and  efforts, is reduced to maintaining the appearance of legality in the  trial. I  refuse to participate in this farce. I don't need the  illusion of a defense-I demand genuine respect for my procedural  rights," Vardanyan concluded.