ArmInfo. Former Artsakh President Arkady Ghukasyan is celebrating his birthday in a Baku prison.
"Today is the birthday of Arkady Ghukasyan, the former president of Artsakh, who is in prison in Baku. Ghukasyan's life and all his activities are connected to the Artsakh movement, the activities of state institutions in Artsakh, and the process of Artsakh's recognition.
Freedom for Arkady Ghukasyan and all Armenians in Azerbaijani prisons," wrote Tigran Abrahamyan, a member of the Armenian parliament from the opposition "I Have the Honor" faction.
Arkady Ghukasyan was born on June 22, 1957, in Stepanakert. He was the second president of the NKR (1997-2007) and a Hero of Artsakh (2008). He has been held hostage in Azerbaijan since late September 2023.
It should be noted that the exact number of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages held in Azerbaijani prisons remains unknown. Experts estimate the number to be several hundred. Today, Azerbaijani authorities confirm the presence of 19 Armenians in their custody. Among those held in Azerbaijani captivity are eight former and current members of the military-political leadership of Artsakh. These include former presidents of Artsakh Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan; former Foreign Minister David Babayan; as well as Parliament Speaker David Ishkhanyan; former Commander of the Artsakh Defense Army General Levon Mnatsakanyan; General David Manukyan; and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan.
In February, the Baku puppet court sentenced Arayik Harutyunyan, David Babayan, David Ishkhanyan, David Manukyan, and Levon Mnatsakanyan to life imprisonment, and Bako Sahakyan, Arkady Ghukasyan, and Ruben Vardanyan to 20 years in prison on trumped-up charges. The so-called court sentenced the remaining Artsakh residents to up to 15 years in prison.
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