Lawyer marks anniversary of Armenian prisoners' sham trials in Baku

The sham trials of Armenian prisoners began in Baku on 17 January 2025, human rights lawyer Siranush Sahakyan said at a press conference on Saturday, marking their anniversary.

She represents the interests of Armenian prisoners before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and heads the Center for International and Comparative Law.

Sahakyan said two parallel proceedings are under way in Azerbaijan. One involves Ruben Vardanyan, a former state minister of Nagorno-Karabakh and businessman. The other concerns 15 detainees, including seven former military and political leaders of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and eight prisoners captured during Azerbaijan’s September 2023 military offensive.

“These individuals were objectively located in a zone of active hostilities,” Sahakyan said, describing the proceedings as unlawful and fabricated.