Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has responded to Armenia’s statement on the sham trials in Baku and the visible signs of torture on Armenian detainees, asserting that the trials of Armenians accused of war crimes are "fair" and should not be "subject to political manipulation." This statement was made by the ministry's spokesperson, Aykhan Hajizade.

Once again, Baku has accused Armenia, this time alleging that "Armenia has taken no action to investigate cases of degrading treatment of Azerbaijani prisoners of war and detained civilians."

Since 2020, Armenia has returned Azerbaijani captives during the first exchanges, including Askerov and Guliyev, who had been sentenced to life for murdering Armenian civilians years ago.

"A clear concern of Armenia’s political leadership over the trials of individuals accused of war crimes is evident in its statements. These individuals have previously received open support from Armenian authorities, who have facilitated their aggressive policies against Azerbaijan," the Azerbaijani MFA stated, quoted by Trend.

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement highlighting its continued efforts to draw international attention to the release of Armenian POWs, hostages, and detainees in Azerbaijan, as well as to the staged trials and glaring signs of torture faced by some of them.

Human rights lawyer Siranush Sahakyan has stated that recent photos of former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan reveal visible injuries on his body. Vardanyan has been on a hunger strike for a week. During his latest court hearing, his health sharply deteriorated, and photos taken during the session showed facial injuries. Despite this, the court forced him to attend the hearing.

Vardanyan’s international lawyer recently provided details about his health, warning that his life is at serious risk.