Ukrainian MP calls Armenian separatist’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination absurd

Ukrainian MP Yulia Yatsyk has expressed opinion about Armenian separatist Ruben Vardanyan’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination.

"Can you imagine a greater absurdity than Ruben Vardanyan's nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize? Who is this? — you ask... This is one of those figures who embody the whole essence of Putin's regime. Stole billions, leagues under Putin, played separatism in the Caucasus, set a civilized world against himself, got sanctions, tried to whiten - failed... And then he was caught and extradited to court, where the trial began against him and other separatists of the unrecognized 'NCR' [NKR]," she wrote on Facebook, Caliber.Az reports.

She noted that in 2019, 22 MEPs initiated the entry of Vardanyan to the sanction lists as a "partner of the Kremlin". In 2022, 46 members of the US Congress submitted Vardanyan to the draft sanction list. In the same year, the decree of Zelensky Vardanyan was included in the sanction lists of Ukraine. In 2023 on the initiative of the Security Service of Ukraine, he was brought to the base "Peacemaker". In spite of all this, Russia is still trying to push this "peacemaker".

However, 123 MPs from Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania signed collective letters to the Nobel Committee demanding the removal of Ruben Vardanyan's candidacy from the list of nominees for the prize.

"I hope common sense and justice prevail," she wrote.

The preparatory hearing of the trial of Ruben Vardanyan, a citizen of Armenia accused under various articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including torture, mercenarism, violation of the laws and customs of war, terrorism, financing terrorism, and other charges, continued on January 27.

The hearing was held at the Baku Military Court located within the Baku Court Complex.

During the session, the defendant was provided with a translator for Russian and was ensured legal defence through lawyers.

The criminal case has been referred for trial, with the next court session scheduled for February 6.

Ruben Vardanyan is accused under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including Article 100 (Planning and waging an aggressive war), Article 107 (Deportation or forced displacement of the population), Article 109 (Persecution), Article 112 (Illegal deprivation of liberty contrary to international law), Article 113 (Torture), Article 114 (Mercenarism), Article 115 (Violation of the laws and customs of war), Article 116 (Violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict), Article 214 (Terrorism), Article 214-1 (Financing terrorism), Article 218 (Creating a criminal organisation), Article 228 (Illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, or carrying of weapons, ammunition, explosive materials, or devices), Article 270-1 (Acts threatening aviation security), Article 278 (Violent seizure of power, violent retention of power, or forcible alteration of the constitutional order of the state), Article 279 (Creation of armed groups not envisaged by legislation), Article 318 (Illegal crossing of the state border), and other related charges.

By Naila Huseynova