HRW calls on Baku to grant amnesty to Armenian detainees

PanARMENIAN.Net - Human Rights Watch has urged Azerbaijani authorities to apply a broad amnesty to Armenians detained in Baku who were involved in military actions or support roles during the conflicts of the 1990s or 2020s.

Rachel Denber, Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia at Human Rights Watch, highlighted concerns regarding the potential lack of fair trial opportunities for former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan. She noted that Azerbaijan has a history of using its criminal justice system against political opponents, raising doubts about Vardanyan's chances for a fair trial.

Ruben Vardanyan, the former State Minister of Artsakh, is currently detained in a Baku prison on charges considered by some as fabricated. He recently sent an audio message through his family, emphasizing that he has always acted according to his moral principles and has never betrayed them, even in the most challenging times. Vardanyan undertook a 23-day hunger strike protesting the ongoing judicial proceedings, which he described as a farce.