Artsakh State Minister: Sentences against Artsakh`s  military-political leadership are an instrument of political  retaliation

ArmInfo. The sentences handed down to Artsakh's military- political leadership and other Armenian prisoners of war are an instrument of political retaliation, as stated by Artsakh State Minister Nzhdeh Iskandaryan on his  Facebook page following a Baku Appellate Court decision upholding the  verdicts of Armenian prisoners of war.

Iskandaryan noted that the ruling came as no surprise. He  characterized the verdicts delivered in Baku as unlawful, asserting  that the compatriots are held as political hostages. He described the  proceedings as a show trial designed to criminalize Artsakh's  struggle for self-determination, humiliate the Armenian people, and  impose a false narrative on the international community.

Furthermore, Iskandaryan pointed out a discrepancy between ongoing  discussions regarding peace processes and Azerbaijan's continued use  of pressure and threats. He expressed concern regarding the inaction  of Armenian authorities, stating that the issue of captives has not  been consistently raised on international platforms or met with  effective diplomatic pressure.

He believes that silence in this case is in itself a political  choice. "What kind of peace can we talk about when our compatriots  continue to remain in Azerbaijani prisons on false charges? While  they are in captivity, all political, legal, and diplomatic efforts  of the Republic of Armenia must be directed toward one goal: their  immediate release and return to their homeland," the Artsakh State  Minister concluded.