General David Manukyan, held in Azerbaijani captivity, issues a  statement

ArmInfo.  General David Manukyan, held in Azerbaijani captivity,has  issued a statement,  noting that the trial is directed not only against the 15 people  currenty detained, but also against the past and present of the  Armenian people.

In a message disseminated from his place of detention in Baku,  Manukyan noted that the Azerbaijani Court of Appeal is currently  reviewing an appeal against the verdict delivered by a Baku court of  first instance regarding 19 Armenian prisoners of war and civilian  captives.

"This trial is directed not only against these 15 individuals, but  also against the past and present of the Armenian people, since,  according to the indictment and verdict, it verdict trace back to the  beginning of the last century. In the face of all these false  accusations, we continue our just struggle, preventing the  humiliation of the Armenian people and the rights of Armenian  statehood. I appeal to Nikol Vovaevich Pashinyan, a citizen of the  Republic of Armenia, and I urge you to publicly state your position  regarding the accusations brought against us. If you do not respond  negatively, this will mean that you agree with the false accusations,  thereby making not only yourself but also the Armenian people  complicit. Furthermore, I look forward to learning about the  situation of those of us here, according to the official position of  the Republic of Armenia. It is also sad that those of us held here do  not feel the presence of the Republic of Armenia, but be that as it  may, this is the reality," the message reads.