Trials in Baku pose threat to Armenia, warns Kocharyan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan has stated that the issue of former Nagorno-Karabakh military-political figures and other Armenians detained in Azerbaijan should be a subject of discussion in all negotiations.

He emphasized that the trials in Baku are directed not only against the leaders of Karabakh but also against Armenia, as reported by Sputnik Armenia.

Kocharyan highlighted that, unlike the opposition, the Armenian authorities have clear mechanisms to resolve this issue but are not taking the necessary steps.

"These individuals' fate should be on the negotiation table at every meeting, but it isn't. Today, not only are Karabakh's leaders being tried, but also the Republic of Armenia," Kocharyan stated.

In this context, he recalled that when Yerevan decided to join the Rome Statute, it claimed to hold Ilham Aliyev accountable, but in reality, aimed to hinder the Russian President's visit to Armenia.

"Now, Armenia is on trial there, and they will do everything to show the world that Nagorno-Karabakh never had any right to self-determination, and from the very beginning, Armenia allegedly committed aggression against Azerbaijan. This is a problem for Armenia," Kocharyan noted.

He added that he had been in active contact with former Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan and others, proposing options to evacuate them from Artsakh, as the ongoing trial in Baku was predictable.

"They shouldn't have ended up there; the Republic of Armenia should have done everything in those last days to get them out, even if it meant sending a helicopter, coordinating with peacekeeping forces. I was trying to solve this issue without these authorities in a 24-hour mode," Kocharyan said.

The former president expressed concern that the Armenian authorities do not grasp the full seriousness of the issue. Additionally, he wondered why many of those forcibly displaced from Artsakh are not raising the issue of the captured Armenians.

"They have numerous problems; the situation is understandable, but their voices should be loud," Kocharyan added.

Since January 17, trials have been ongoing in Azerbaijan concerning former military-political leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh. Among the accused are former presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, former commander of the Defense Army Levon Mnatsakanyan, his former deputy Davit Manukyan, former foreign minister Davit Babayan, and former National Assembly speaker Davit Ishkhanyan.

The case of former state minister and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan has been separated into a distinct proceeding. Despite his request to merge his case with the others, the court decided to review 400 out of 422 volumes separately.