Why former Karabakh official Ruben Vardanyan isn’t appealing his 20-year prison term in Azerbaijan

Armenian-born billionaire Ruben Vardanyan was sentenced to 20 years in prison by an Azerbaijani military court on February 17 for his role in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh before it fell to Baku’s forces in 2023. Speaking to FRANCE 24, his son David said that Vardanyan remained hopeful despite his imprisonment. “He still sticks to his principles, and he urges us all not to give into fear, and to stand up for right despite everything that’s happening,” he said.