ArmInfo. The Institute of CIS Countries, together with the Institute's branch in Yerevan and the International "Lazarev Club" will hold a round table on the topic "Trial in Baku: what will the desire for revenge lead to?"
According to the announcement of the event, the event will be held on February 26 in Moscow and will be dedicated to the trial of 16 former military-political leaders of the Republic of Artsakh, including former presidents Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan, who were arrested in September 2023 by the Azerbaijani authorities during the occupation of the territory of Artsakh, which began on January 17, 2025 in Baku.
The following will take part in the Round Table: First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, Director of the Institute of CIS Countries and Coordinator of the Lazarev Club Council Konstantin Zatulin; Professor of MGIMO University of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Andranik Migranyan; Chairman of the Democratic Party of Armenia, member of the Lazarev Club Council Aram Sargsyan; Vice President of the Union of Armenians of Russia, member of the Lazarev Club Council Lusik Ghukasyan; Chairman of the Russian Society for Friendship and Cooperation with Armenia Viktor Krivopuskov; former Ombudsman of the Republic of Armenia Larisa Alaverdyan; expert of the Strategic Culture Foundation Andrei Areshev; journalist, columnist for Soloviev Life Armen Gasparyan; Head of the Analytical Center for Strategic Studies and Initiatives (ACSSII), editor-in-chief of the Moscow editorial office of Alpha News, political columnist for the VERELQ Information and Analytical Center Hayk Khalatyan; Political analyst, coordinator of the Eurasian Expert Club Aram Safaryan; lawyer Ruben Kirakosyan; political scientist, employee of the Nagorno-Karabakh representative office in Russia Arsen Melik-Shahnazarov; military journalist, co-chairman of the Coordination Council of Russian-Armenian Organizations, editor-in-chief of the information and analytical website "Russia-Armenia.Info" Aram Khachatryan and others. Let us recall that 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, Parliament Speaker 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 their defense; that all violations and falsifications be eliminated; that his trial and that of all the other defendants 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, not a tribunal, 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 the 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. After a number of Vardanyan's motions were rejected during the trial, he went on a hunger strike.
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