Former presidents of Artsakh kept in Baku Araik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arkady Ghukasyanformer state minister Ruben Vardanyan and the other 4 high-ranking officials will soon stand before the Azerbaijani court, the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan told the Russian News.ru media. Kamran Aliyev, however, did not specify specific dates for the start of the trial.
“Both the accused and the victims get acquainted with the materials of the criminal case. You know that there are many victims in this criminal case. After carrying out all these investigative measures, the case will be sent to the court,” said the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan.
The former leaders of Nagorno Karabakh, Azerbaijan, terrorism felony charges was nominated last year, days after Azerbaijan’s attack on Artsakh and their arrest. If the court approves them, they face up to life imprisonment.
The chief prosecutor of the country known for gross violations of human rights insisted that the court will examine the case of the former officials of Nagorno Karabakh “in accordance with international standards and the criminal legislation of Azerbaijan”.
Armenia’s human rights defender Anahit Manasyan noted. – “Trials by impartial and independent bodies cannot be conducted against ethnic Armenians in Azerbaijan.”
“The question of the return of the former military-political leadership of Artsakh is complicated”
On the issue of former high-ranking officials of Artsakh and other prisoners held in Azerbaijan, Yerevan submitted claims to the European Court of Human Rights and the United Nations Court of Justice, including demanding Baku to protect their rights and release them immediately.
“A number of other issues related to the presumption of innocence, which in fact we had revealed and again shared with international partners, all this gives grounds for concluding that, regardless of everything, these processes do not comply with the popular principles of law,” said Manasyan.
Armenia cannot be directly involved in the trial to be started in Baku, nor can international lawyers defend the interests of Artsakh officials. According to Siranush Sahakyan, a human rights defender dealing with issues of Armenian prisoners in international courts, this is limited by the law in Azerbaijan. And the public defenders also act in a formal manner.
“Through many repatriated Armenians, we found out that there were no meetings, they did not discuss the case, sometimes they were mistreated and discriminated by the professional group that ensures the realization of this right, and it is understandable that Azerbaijan formally involves lawyers, but the latter they do not protect Armenians in any way,” Siranush Sahakyan said.
According to Sahakyan, the Armenian side should actively work on international platforms to protect the interests of the arrested. According to him, is the current government taking sufficient steps in that direction?
“Sometimes I hear very extreme views, firstly, that very effective work is being done, and also that no work is being done. I do not share both points of view, I think that the government is working, we can make its effectiveness a subject of discussion. I should mention that the government filed an interstate complaint regarding the protection of the rights of many of its citizens. The former leaders of Artsakh are also included in them”, emphasized the human rights defender.
According to Siranush Sahakyan, the issue of the return of the former military-political leadership of Artsakh is complicated and there is a need for intensive diplomatic negotiations.
“It is a very important guarantee for foreign citizens to have consular visits from their country of citizenship in case of arrest or detention. Due to the nature of the Armenian-Azerbaijani diplomatic relations, it is understandable that the consular staff of Armenia cannot visit the citizens of Armenia detained there, but the international law has created a tool to replace it. In other words, in the case of successful diplomacy, another accredited diplomatic consular representation can take on this responsibility,” he said.
The Prime Minister of Armenia announced last week that Yerevan continues to deal with the issue of prisoners. However, he did not clarify whether Yerevan is discussing this issue with Baku in the form of bilateral negotiations or in another format.
23 Armenians are held in Azerbaijani prisons, 8 of them are former high-ranking officials of Artsakh.
