The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has published an extensive report on Azerbaijan’s justice system titled “Justice Under Pressure: The Independence of Lawyers and the Right to a Fair Trial in Azerbaijan.” The report sharply criticizes systemic problems within Azerbaijan’s judicial system and places particular focus on the trials of Armenian detainees and former officials of Nagorno-Karabakh (editorial: Artsakh) currently taking place in Baku.
The report stresses that these proceedings raise serious concerns under international legal standards and fail to comply with the fundamental principles of fair trial rights. According to the ICJ, the trials against former Nagorno-Karabakh (editorial: Artsakh) officials represent one of the clearest examples of the deep-rooted problems within Azerbaijan’s justice system.
Based on publicly available information, the Commission states that the trials of Armenians have been marked by numerous violations. In particular, the cases have been heard in military courts without any justification as to why military jurisdiction should apply to civilians. At the same time, defendants have allegedly been denied effective assistance from lawyers of their own choosing, while state-appointed attorneys failed to respond to evidence of ill-treatment and possible abuse.
The report also notes that case materials were either not provided to the defense or were supplied in languages the defendants could not understand. Defense motions were reportedly rejected systematically and without proper justification, while in some cases they were not even included in official court records. The ICJ further criticizes inadequate translation services and the closed nature of the proceedings.
Special attention is devoted to the case of Ruben Vardanyan. The ICJ points out that Vardanyan assumed a public role in Nagorno-Karabakh (editorial: Artsakh) only in late 2022, yet Azerbaijani prosecutors have brought charges against him dating back to 1988. The authors of the report emphasize that initiating criminal proceedings more than three decades later raises fundamental concerns regarding the principle of legality, particularly given that Vardanyan held no political office during that period.
The Commission additionally highlights that most of the trials have been conducted behind closed doors. Only state-controlled media outlets were reportedly permitted access, while international observers, foreign journalists, and family members of the defendants were denied entry to court hearings. According to the ICJ, such conditions make transparency and public oversight impossible.
The report concludes with a number of recommendations addressed to Azerbaijan’s executive authorities, judiciary, prosecution service, and parliament. In particular, the judicial authorities are urged to ensure that any appeals involving former Nagorno-Karabakh (editorial: Artsakh) officials are heard by ordinary civilian courts and that the defense is granted full access to case materials in a language understood by the defendants. The ICJ also calls on the Council of Europe to secure access for international observers to attend possible appeal hearings.
