ArmInfo. Samvel Karapetyan, the President of the Association of Armenian Entrepreneurs and the Tashir Group of Companies, has urged the people of Armenia to support the Armenian prisoners currently detained in Baku prisons. "Today, the trial of the Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh who were detained in September 2023, including former presidents and civilians, as well as a separate trial of Ruben Vardanyan, is commencing in Baku. It is obvious to everyone - the international community, human rights organizations, the Azerbaijani leadership, the families of the detainees and the detainers themselves - that this trial is demonstrative," Karapetyan said in his statement.
He noted that in the current situation, no one should stand aside. "Today, as a representative of the diaspora, a citizen, a friend, an Armenian and simply a caring person, I am calling for justice. For nearly 500 days, our compatriots have been held in prisons in Baku, denied their right to a fair trial, freedom of communication, and access to information. They are being subjected to methods that go against international human rights standards. These people, who have long been fighting for the peaceful existence of their people, now require our support and protection," the statement of the Tashir Group of Companies reads. Karapetyan called on the Azerbaijani authorities and the court to ensure the legal right to justice for these people, with the hope that their return will serve as a symbol of the triumph of justice and humanity prevailing.