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Akbar Novruz

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Businessman Ruben Vardanyan, recently convicted of war crimes by a Baku court, appears in the so-called Epstein files, a collection of emails, correspondence, and records from the late U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein, AzerNEWS reports.

According to open-source reporting, the files contain a chain of correspondence in which Sergey Beliakov, a former Russian deputy minister and business leader, asked Lesley Groff, Epstein’s long-time assistant, to pass along information about Vardanyan. Groff confirmed that the request was carried out, effectively introducing Vardanyan into Epstein’s administrative network.

Groff, who coordinated Epstein’s meetings, schedules, and corporate tasks for over two decades, was a key link to his inner circle. Experts say correspondence through her provided direct access to Epstein, highlighting how Vardanyan was deliberately brought into the network by a business associate.

The archive also includes references to Leymah Gbowee, the Liberian Nobel Peace Prize laureate and humanitarian, who participated in the 2018 Women in the World Summit and appeared in a 2011 event invitation to Epstein at New York’s CORE Club.

While appearing in the Epstein files does not imply criminal involvement, the connections have drawn attention given Vardanyan’s recent 20-year prison sentence in Azerbaijan for charges including war crimes, financing terrorism, and crimes against peace and humanity.

Prosecutors described his actions as planning and waging aggressive war and supporting illegal armed groups.