Armenian witness: Vardanyan funded creation of armed groups to wage war against Azerbaijan PHOTO

Today, March 11, the Baku Military Court continued the trial into the criminal case against Armenian citizen Ruben Vardanyan, who is accused of torture, mercenarism, violations of the laws and customs of war, terrorism, financing terrorism, and other articles of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code.

An Armenian resident of Karabakh, testifying as a witness at the court hearing, stated that Ruben Vardanyan arrived in Khankendi some time after the 44-day war: "I don’t know whether he came from Russia or somewhere else," Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

He also said that Ruben Vardanyan sponsored the creation of armed groups consisting of individuals aged up to 45-50 years to engage in combat against Azerbaijan and financed them.

"Many young people joined these groups. I was curious as to why a world-renowned businessman and oligarch like Ruben Vardanyan—I am not saying he is my enemy, no—left his business and came to Karabakh," the witness noted.

He also stated that individuals joined the groups for a reward ranging from $700 to $2,000 and underwent military training.

The court then read the witness's statements given during the preliminary investigation at the State Security Service. The witness confirmed his testimony.

To note, Ruben Vardanyan is charged with crimes under Articles 100.1, 100.2 (planning, preparing, initiating and waging a war of aggression), 107 (deportation and forced displacement of the population), 109 (persecution), 110 (forcible disappearance of persons), 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to international law), 113 (torture), 114.1 (mercenary activity), 115.2 (violation of the laws and customs of warfare), 116.0.1, 116.0.2, 116.0.10, 116.0.11, 116.0.16, 116.0.18 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict), 120.2.1, 120.2.3, 120.2.4, 120.2.7, 120.2.11, 120.2.12 (intentional murder), 29,120.2.1, 29,120.2.3, 29,120.2.4, 29,120.2.7, 29,120.2.11, 29,120.2.12 (attempted intentional murder), 192.3.1 (illegal entrepreneurship), 214.2.1, 214.2.3, 214.2.4 (terrorism), 214-1 (financing of terrorism), 218.1, 218.2 (creation of a criminal group), 228.3 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation and possession of firearms, their components, ammunition, explosives and devices), 270-1.2, 270-1.4 (acts threatening aviation safety), 278.1 (forcible seizure or retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state), 279.1, 279.2, 279.3 (creation of armed formations or groups not provided for by law) and 318.2 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan).

By Khagan Isayev