Ruben Vardanyan explained his refusal to hire a lawyer under an agreement

The refusal of Avraam Berman's services was forced and due to the fact that all procedural defense options had been exhausted, explained Ruben Vardanyan. The presence of a contract lawyer during the trial, he said, only creates the illusion of defense.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," at a court hearing on October 21, former State Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh Ruben Vardanyan refused the services of lawyer Avraam Berman, who had represented him in the trial for more than six months. Vardanyan stated that he did not have a contract with another lawyer, agreeing to a public defender. At the initial hearings of the case, the defendant's interests were represented by state lawyer Azer Maharramov, but in February, Ruben Vardanyan abandoned him, introducing Berman to the court as a contract lawyer.

Ruben Vardanyan explained his reasons for refusing a lawyer in a message sent to his family on October 22. The relatives of the former Karabakh state minister circulated the text of his comment on social media, including on the FreeVardanyan project page.

Vardanyan called his refusal of a lawyer of his choice "forced," citing "gross violations of international and Azerbaijani judicial law" that had derailed the trial. According to the defendant, he waived his defense attorney in protest because the conditions for his attorney, Berman, to work during the trial were virtually nonexistent.

Listing the court's violations, he noted that he had still not reviewed the 422 volumes of case materials or the indictment, as "the court had not provided an official translation of key procedural documents." Vardanyan noted that in preparation for the hearing, he was unable to exchange documents with his lawyer without restrictions and prior review.

The defense petitioned to summon witnesses capable of clarifying the circumstances of the case, but this petition, like all others, was denied. According to Vardanyan, this has completely deprived the trial of "any traces of objectivity and fairness."

"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," Ruben Vardanyan concluded.

Fifteen former Karabakh officials are in custody in Azerbaijan, including former presidents Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arkady Ghukasyan, as well as former parliament speaker David Ishkhanyan and former Nagorno-Karabakh state minister Ruben Vardanyan, whose case is being heard separately. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report entitled "Vardanyan and 15 Karabakh leaders: key points about the Baku courts."