Tag: Nagorno-Karabakh

Putin’s Friend, Wanted by Ukraine, Perpetrator of Crimes in Karabakh

By Azer HASRET

I believe that this information will be of interest to our esteemed readers. That’s why I’m reprinting it. The information below is not my investigation. It was published by one of the X users and as I see seems very trustworthy. I do deal with the issues in our region, especially with the problem of conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. I know quite well the roots of the Karabakh conflict as well. And I’m aware of Ruben Vardanyan’s illegal activities in the territory of Azerbaijan.

For those who need a bit more information, Ruben Vardanyan alongside other criminal separatist elements of Karabakh was stopped and brought to Baku to be investigated. He is among those who fueled ethnic hatred between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. He was arrested after a 1-day local anti-terror operation led by the Azerbaijani military on September 19-20, 2023. Before that, he and others were called to lay down arms and cease. But they continuously ignored peaceful calls. Then Azerbaijan had to launch an anti-terror operation, which resulted in success.

Now let’s see who this friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a perpetrator of crimes even in Ukraine Ruben Vardanyan is.

Backed by Kremlin Ruben Vardanyan was very sure that he will not be punished…

GENERAL INFORMATION

Ruben Vardanyan, born in Yerevan on 25 May 1968, is a Russian oligarch of Armenian descent, a billionaire, and former minister of the state of the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic”, an entity not recognized anywhere in the world.

Vardanyan was the initiator, one of the founders, and the first president of the Moscow School of Management in Skolkovo. President Vladimir Putin attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the campus in 2006.

According to the Washington Times, Vardanyan is a friend of Vladimir Putin.

Ruben Vardanyan with the Russian President Vladimir Putin

Vardanyan was once the head and main partner of Troika Dialog, an investment company that created an extensive network of offshore companies involved in money laundering from Russia. Since 2011, Forbes has included him in its ranking of Russia’s richest people.

In September 2021, Ruben Vardanyan renounced his Russian citizenship but continued to actively participate in Russian business, where his partner is the head of ROSTEC, Sergei Chemezov. Together they hold positions on the Board of Directors of KAMAZ OJSC and receive significant payments for their work. In addition, Vardanyan owns a stake in the car manufacturer KAMAZ through a consortium of investors in which ROSTEC also participates.

In 2018, Vardanyan’s foundation and a subsidiary of ROSTEC invested in facial recognition technology by buying shares in the company. In addition, Vardanyan was a former co-owner of Avtovaz, but sold his stake for $180 million in 2013, remaining in partnership with ROSTEC.

SKOLKOVO PROJECT

Back in 2009, well-known Russian opposition actor Alexei Navalny (now dead) investigated Skolkovo’s financing scheme and noted in his blog that, despite Vardanyan’s statement about the charitable nature of Skolkovo, the school’s project was estimated at $500 million, with half of that amount coming from the founders’ donations and the remaining $250 million coming as a loan from Sberbank.

“The loan was granted under unclear conditions and with unclear guarantees. Both the Skolkovo school and Sberbank categorically refuse to disclose the terms of the loan,” Navalny said.

“The construction of the Skolkovo school was financed from the funds of the state-owned Sberbank, and no one was going to pay back the money, but Vardanyan and the rest of the gang of tycoons told the naive public and journalists that this was a very “cute” commercial project”, Navalny added.

ORGANIZED CRIME AND CORRUPTION REPORTING PROJECT (OCCRP) ABOUT TROIKA DIALOG

For more than two decades, Ruben Vardanyan was the face of Western-style investment banking as the founder of Troika Dialog during the birth of Russian capitalism, with successes that earned him billionaire status and ties to the Kremlin.

The system dubbed the Troika Laundromat by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, involved at least 75 offshore companies and exported about $4.8 billion between 2006 and 2013, often through fictional deals, with the help of a now-defunct Lithuanian bank, according to the OCCRP’s investigative journalists.

Sergey Roldugin, a cellist and friend of Vladimir Putin, was among the ultimate recipients of the funds.

While Vardanyan wasn’t personally accused of wrongdoing, he was president, chief executive officer, and chairman of Troika during this period, as well as its main partner. According to the OCCRP, he used the bank to pay millions of dollars in personal expenses.

In March of 2019, the European Parliament members wrote a letter to the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, in which they stated the need to introduce sanctions against the ex-owner of Troika Dialog Ruben Vardanyan and others linked to Troika Dialog’s “offshore eco-system”. The letter was signed by 22 MEPs representing Lithuania, Poland, Sweden, Germany, Great Britain, and other countries.

VARDANYAN’S INVOLVEMENT IN AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE

Known for his active pro-Russian stance, Ruben Vardanyan was included in the Ukrainian “Peacekeeper” sanctions database for his assistance to the Russian invaders and his involvement in crimes committed by the Russian authorities against Ukraine and its citizens. He is also accused of denying and publicly justifying Russian aggression and financing military actions in the post-Soviet space. The list designates him as a person subject to “immediate arrest and transfer to the law enforcement authorities of Ukraine and NATO countries”.

Bob Blackman, a Conservative member of the British parliament, said Vardanyan was an accomplice to aggression against Ukraine. “We have to understand that this is someone who has been sanctioned as part of Russia’s involvement in Ukraine, and it is believed that Russia is trying to strengthen its capabilities in terms of its war effort. His companies have been well used and well involved in the whole process of expanding the military presence in Ukraine and Nagorno-Karabakh”, the British MP said.

Vardanyan also has links with Tehran, which is helping Moscow in its regular attacks on Ukraine. His ties to Iran can be traced through Russia’s Gorchakov Foundation, which organizes events in various countries, including Armenia, with government-approved speakers from Tehran.

In September 2022, Vardanyan renounced his Russian citizenship to avoid Western sanctions, but Ukraine included him on its sanctions list for providing logistical support to the Russian occupation army.

IN THE TERRITORY OF AZERBAIJAN

After renouncing his Russian citizenship to avoid Western sanctions, Vardanyan came to “power” in Karabakh and illegally seized copper, molybdenum, and gold deposits in the region, which belongs to Azerbaijan. The resources, guarded by the Russian peacekeepers, were plundered in violation of environmental regulations. The Azerbaijani authorities demanded that experts be given access to the deposits, but this was repeatedly blocked.

According to Canada’s Geopolitical Monitor, the Kremlin appointed Vardanyan to the post of “Minister of State of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh” in order to thwart the European Union’s potential success in reaching a peace agreement.

Bulgarian National Radio noted that Vardanyan was engaged in active propaganda that did not contribute to the resolution of the conflict between Baku and Yerevan.

There are reasonable grounds to suspect that Vardanyan has committed offenses under Articles 214-1 (Financing terrorism), 279.3 (Participation in the creation and activities of paramilitary groups or groups not provided for by law), and 318.1 (Illegal crossing of the state border of Azerbaijan) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

March 28, 2024
Why Azerbaijan Will Keep Attacking Armenia

The conflict centers on a region disputed for decades.

The mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh has long been at the heart of tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but with a majority ethnic Armenian population, it declared independence in the late Soviet period.

A years long war between Armenia and Azerbaijan followed, killing tens of thousands of people and leaving hundreds of thousands displaced. It ended in a 1994 cease-fire that left Armenia in control of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding districts that were legally part of Azerbaijan. During the war in 2020, Azerbaijan — with powerful Turkish backing including attack drones — recaptured much of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. The death toll was in the thousands, and tens of thousands of people were forced to flee.

November 30, 2022
Baku Cancels Talks With Yerevan

Armenia, Azerbaijan: Baku Cancels Talks With Yerevan, Threatens Nagorno-Karabakh

What Happened: Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev backed out of the Dec. 7 round of peace talks with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after the latter insisted that French President Emmanuel Macron also be present, Reuters reported Nov. 28. This came as Azerbaijani officials accused Armenia of using the “Lachin corridor” to supply weapons to the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region and as Azerbaijani media began to speculate about the need for a new military offensive in the region.

Why It Matters: Pashinyan and Aliyev failed to meet in Brussels, Belgium, for peace talks in November, and the potential further delay to their December meeting is a clear sign that talks have stalled. The two sides’ failure to make greater progress in peace talks and the recent shift in Azerbaijani rhetoric suggest that Azerbaijan is increasingly motivated to use force to demonstrate its leverage, meaning the possibility of renewed violent episodes either on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border or in Nagorno-Karabakh is rising. A renewed uptick in violence would make a breakthrough in peace talks even more unlikely to occur by the end of this year.

Background: On Nov. 23, Pashinyan refused to sign Collective Security Treaty Organization documents related to providing assistance to Armenia. On Nov. 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, but the talks did not result in any breakthrough toward a peace agreement. On Oct. 12, Armenian Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan said Armenia and Azerbaijan were set to agree to a peace agreement by the end of the year that will include the issue of border delimitation, although he indicated that the treaty would not reference the status of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Stratfor

November 29, 2022
Press Release: FCTA & TAC Condemns the Khojaly Massacre on Feb 26 1992, by Armenian and Soviet Union Forces

Press Release: The Khojaly Massacre in Feb 1992

Khojaly, situated in the Nagorno Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan, had a population of just 6,300 people before the Armenian army seized control of the southern roads and effectively isolated Khojaly from greater Azerbaijan. Power lines were cut, water was turned off, and many goods were prevented from reaching the embattled civilian population. Those who were able fled the fighting; the rest were forced to wait anxiously as the Armenian army drew ever closer.

On the night of February 25, 1992, the town was surrounded by Armenian armed forces, with the support of the Soviet Union on three sides and only one path of escape was left OPEN for the remaining civilians to flee their doomed town in the middle of the night. After trekking for hours through the bitterly cold woods, the group emerged near the Armenian town of Nakhichevanik. Almost immediately, the densely packed group was struck by a hail of bullets fired by Armenian fighters encamped on the hillside above. The next day, journalists were greeted by a gruesome scene: a field littered with bodies, many of which bore marks of excessive cruelty. One observer noticed powder around gunshot wounds and realized that many of the victims had been shot at point-blank range. Other foreign journalists documented extensive evidence of torture [Le Monde,Paris, 14 March 1992]. In all, 613 civilians were killed, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people.

“…Before Khojaly, the Azerbaijanis thought that they were joking with us, they thought that the Armenians were people who could not raise their hand against the civilian population. We were able to break that [stereotype]. And that’s what happened…”, then-general Serzh Azati Sargsyan, the current President of Armenia, boasted [Black garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan through Peace and War, Thomas De Waal].

Each year, on February 26, the world unites in remembering those lost on that tragic day. However, more than one million refugees created by the war, which are leaving in tent camps so far, is another ongoing moral injustice caused by the Massacre and the Nagorno Karabakh War, despite three UN resolutions demanding Armenia to return these occupied 20% lands, including Nagorno Karabakh, to legitimate owner Azerbaijan for allowing the refugees to return their homes.

The Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations condemns any crime against humanity, including The Khojaly Massacre, and demands returning of a million Azerbaijani refugee Turks to return their homes as soon as possible, in the interests of peace and justice in the Caucasus region.

Best Regards

The Federation of Canadian Turkish Associations (FCTA)
Turkic Assembly of Canada (TAC)

March 2, 2015
NSW Parliament violates UN and Commonwealth laws

New South Wales – Australian MPs at Nagorno Karabakh parliament

In 2012, under the leadership of New South Wales (NSW) Premier, the Hon. Barry O’Farrell, the state parliament of NSW became the first legitimate parliament in the world to pass a motion (in violation of International and Commonwealth laws) granting the illegal occupiers of Nagorno Karabakh the right to self determination, and called upon the Australian government to follow suit.

It also became the first legitimate parliament in the world to send an official delegation to Nagorno Karabakh, sanctioned by the NSW Premier the Hon. Barry O’Farrell.

February 9, 2014
Khojaly Airport – a danger to aviation

Press Release: The prospective opening of the airport in Khojaly, in the Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh, has dismayed those involved in ensuring international air safety.

Khojaly Airport was closed on 25 February 1992, after being occupied by Armenian forces during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The airport was rebuilt during 2010–11, and its opening has already been delayed for over a year.

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs, tasked with achieving a negotiated resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, previously issued a statement in which they expressed their concern that the planned opening of the airport could lead to further increased tensions.

H.E. Richard Morningstar, US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, subsequently commented: “The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs said that the parties need to abstain from steps that may affect the peace process. The opening of the airport in Khojaly may create tensions in the peace talks.”

The potential opening violates international law, including several provisions of the Chicago Convention – in particular, articles 1, 2, 5, 6, 10–16, 24 and 68. Legally, Khojaly airport cannot operate, unauthorised flights through Azerbaijani airspace are not permitted, and any violations could have dangerous consequences.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a specialised UN agency, is also supportive of Azerbaijan. Following the Armenian invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven surrounding regions, four UN Security Council resolutions were passed requesting the immediate withdrawal of Armenian forces. Despite their non-implementation, Azerbaijani territorial integrity has been recognised and unequivocally reconfirmed by the UN and its governing bodies.

Operating flights from Khojaly Airport would represent an expansion of the Armenian military occupation into Azerbaijani airspace with potentially disastrous consequences.

The European Azerbaijan Society

January 30, 2013