Artsakh leader denies handing over location of detainees

PanARMENIAN.Net - Artsakh President Samvel Shahramanyan has dismissed claims circulating on Azerbaijani government-linked platforms and among some circles in Armenia that he provided coordinates of detained officials to Baku. He called these accusations entirely fabricated.

“That’s not only false, but fabricated narratives intended to mislead the Armenian public. Lawyer Roman Yeritsyan already detailed how these arrests happened,” Shahramanyan told Aysor.am .

Responding to online allegations that Ruben Vardanyan’s location was shared during his transfer attempt to Armenia, Shahramanyan said Azerbaijan already had precise knowledge of everyone’s whereabouts.

“No one was hiding. The Azerbaijani side had full awareness of who was where. Ruben Vardanyan wasn’t arrested in a hideout, bunker, forest, or while attempting an alternate escape route. He tried to leave through the only available road — the Lachin corridor — fully aware of the Azerbaijani checkpoints along the way. He didn’t hide, knowing there was an order for his arrest,” Shahramanyan said.

He added that it is illogical to claim someone needed to provide Vardanyan’s coordinates for him to be arrested.