ArmInfo.The international Russian-Armenian "Lazarevsky Club" strongly protess the illegal trial currently taking place in Baku. The Azerbaijani authorities are conducting this trial in violation of human rights and international legal proceedings against the former leaders of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, including former presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, and other government officials, as well as their compatriots captured in 2023 as a result of Azerbaijan's aggression against Artsakh.
"The Azerbaijani authorities' attitude towards the Armenian prisoners held in Baku prison as "war criminals" who, in the opinion of the Azerbaijani side, deserve the most severe punishment, is highly concerning. It is evident that the charges against the illegally captured and detained Armenian citizens are premeditated, the trial clearly politicized, and sessions held behind closed doors from independent media to conceal the truth from the global community. Even before their unlawful detention, the Azerbaijani authorities labeled all Artsakh leaders as criminals, fueling society hatred towards Armenians, particularly, towards the citizens of the rebellious Nagorno-Karabakh.
Against this background, it is worth noting that double standards are the norm for Azerbaijan's policy. We all remember how the Azerbaijani armed forces shot down a Russian helicopter in 2020. Then, in 2023, during another aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh, Russian peacekeepers were killed as a result of an attack by the Azerbaijani military. The Azerbaijani leadership got away with just an apology. The names of the perpetrators were not announced, they were not punished, nor the Azerbaijani side didn't provide any assistance to the families of the dead servicemen. "In war as in war!" How does this contrast with the claims against Russia that the Azerbaijani authorities continue to make everywhere in relation to the recent crash of their plane? It is obvious to us that the trial in Baku exposes the personal motives of the Azerbaijani authorities and their desire for revenge against the accused, driven by the republic's top leadership satisfaction in punishing the "defeated" enemies following the "victory" over Artsakh. "We consider such a policy of the Azerbaijani authorities unworthy of a civilized state," the statement reads. The international "Lazarevsky Club" has also demanded the immediate termination of the trial, the release of all Armenian prisoners held in Baku dungeons, and the removal of all illegal charges against them.