Brussels, 13 January 2025– Azerbaijan will begin trials on January 17th for 16 detained Armenian prisoners and Nagorno-Karabakh officials, illegally held in terrible conditions in Baku, following their capture after the forced expulsion and ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023 by the Azerbaijani military. After several reports in Azerbaijani media, the country’s Prosecutor General’s office confirmed the news on December 30th, quickly verified by Armenian and international media alike.
These trials consist of a collective case against 15 officials, including former presidents Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, and Bako Sahakyan, and a separate case against former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, who was presented with additional charges and accusations. Vardanyan faces 45 charges, including crimes against Azerbaijan’s national security and, if convicted, could be served a life sentence by the Baku Military Court. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan continues to detain numerous Armenian prisoners of war and civilians captured during recent conflicts, despite international calls for their release.
President of the EAFJD Kaspar Karampetian, calls on increased pressure on Azerbaijan to stop these egregious proceedings, stating:
“These sham accusations and legal proceedings leveled against Ruben Vardanyan and the 15 other Armenian prisoners by the Azerbaijani authorities is a clear indication that Azerbaijani regime continues to defy international law and its obligations to human rights and dignity. The conditions under which these prisoners, these political hostages, are held are inhumane and require a serious response by the relevant international bodies. We have raised this issue on several occasions, as have multiple international humanitarian organizations and the families and lawyers of those being held in Baku. Therefore, it is paramount to secure the immediate release of the detainees and put a stop to these illegal prosecutions.
Azerbaijan cannot be allowed to use these political hostages as a leverage over the sensible peace process between the two countries and any comprehensible reconciliatory procedure cannot be hijacked by the illegal detention and prosecution of Vardanyan and his compatriots”, Karampetian added.
Showcasing the growing international pressure increases on Azerbaijan to face repercussions for its repeated violations of international humanitarian law, subsequent resolutions of the European Parliament have addressed this issue and called on Azerbaijan to adhere to its commitments to the EU and international law. Separately, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered Azerbaijan to provide information on Armenian prisoners held illegally in Baku by the end of January. Armenia has filed a lawsuit against Azerbaijan at the ECHR, condemning the unlawful detention of Armenian prisoners and denouncing the fabricated and baseless accusations and charges levied against formal Armenian officials of Nagorno-Karabakh.
In this spirit, Europeans for Artsakh, a civic initiative spanning more than 15 countries across Europe, and composed of various Armenian and allied organizations, joins the global coalition raising concerns about the detainees in Baku and endorsing international talks toward “the universally recognized right of indigenous Artsakh Armenian refugees to a collective, protected, and dignified return”. Similarly, in anticipation of the start of the sham legal process against Armenian prisoners of war and other political prisoners on January 17th, a new platform www.freearmenianhostages.net and www.freearmenianhostages.am has been created to provide detailed information about all civilian, POW and former Armenian officials being held captive by Baku. The websites provide a useful information database for both Armenian and foreign organizations involved in the protection of the rights of illegally detained Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan.