Armenian premier main culprit in Baku show trials - Konstantin  Zatulin 

ArmInfo. A "show" trial of the former leaders of the Nagorno- Karabakh Republic and several of their compatriots captured during the Azerbaijani "blitzkrieg" to seize the entire territory of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023 has begun in Baku, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Affairs, CIS Countries and Relations with Compatriots Konstantin Zatulin noted in his statement.

"This is an act of personal revenge on the part of Azerbaijani  President Ilham Aliyev, who is unable to refrain from it under any  circumstances. My friends, former NKR presidents Arkady Ghukasyan and  Bako Sahakyan, are in the dock accused of crimes in 1,389  criminal cases opened from October 1987 to April 22, 2024. And  others, including former NKR state minister Ruben Vardanyan, who  renounced his Russian citizenship in order to share the fate of the  Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh," Zatulin believes.

According to him, the entire Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh  - more than 100 thousand people, women, old people and children -  abandoned their homes, churches and ancestral graves and fled to  Armenia from the prospects of a heavenly life in Azerbaijan. He noted  that the exodus of Armenians from Karabakh to Armenia was broadcast  24 hours a day on Turkish TV channels and was visible from space.

The politician added that judging by what is happening in Baku today,  the refugees were absolutely right.  Zatulin expressed confidence  that this is a disgrace of the 21st century, repeating, albeit on a  smaller and less bloody scale, the horrors of the massacre of  Armenians at the beginning of the 20th century.

"The main culprit of the betrayal of the Armenians of  Nagorno-Karabakh is Nikol Pashinyan, who got rid of them as a result  of a conspiracy. All the time that the captured Arkady Ghukasyan,  Bako Sahakyan, Ruben Vardanyan and others languished in Baku prisons,  the valiant leader of Armenia did not lift a finger to free them.

To our deep regret, the shadow of the story with the tragedy of  Nagorno-Karabakh and its leaders falls on us in Russia, which was  deceived with its peacekeeping operation. And Mr. Pashinyan is taking  advantage of this today. It is shameful," the Russian legislator  noted.

Zatulin also noted that the Council of the Russian-Armenian "Lazarev  Club" is currently preparing our statement regarding the trial in  Baku.

On January 17, under the chairmanship of Judge Zeynal Agayev, the  Baku Military Court began considering the "indictment" against the  former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh. Among the accused are three  former presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh:

Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan and Arayik Harutyunyan. Also  appearing before the court will be former Foreign Minister David  Babayan, Speaker of the Parliament David Ishkhanyan, former Commander  of the Defense Army General Levon Mnatsakanyan, General David  Manukyan and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan.

On January 16, Vardanyan made a statement in which he demanded that  he and his lawyer be given the opportunity to fully prepare for the  defense; that all violations and falsifications be eliminated; that  the trial of him and all the other accused be made public.

"I insist on a maximally open trial with the participation of  international journalists and representatives of humanitarian  organizations. I am convinced that only a real court, and not a  trial, will help take a step forward on the difficult path of  building new relations between our peoples," he emphasized. In  conclusion, he demanded that his case be combined with the cases of  other defendants. "More than 400 volumes of my case out of 422 are  episodes of a common case. Separating my case into a separate  proceeding is an artificial and unfounded decision," Vardanyan added.