Baku has responded to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's accusations that psychotropic substances are being administered to former political and military leaders of Artsakh detained in Azerbaijani prisons to incite regional escalation, categorically denying the claims.

Aykhan Hajiyev, spokesperson for Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called these allegations “baseless and devoid of credibility,” according to Trend.

Hajiyev stated that “all rights of the accused have been properly ensured and explained, and all court sessions and statements have been documented.” He also emphasized that “allegations of mistreatment of detainees in Azerbaijan have been investigated by independent organizations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, and found to be false.”

According to Hajiyev, such statements from Armenia reflect the political leadership’s unease about the ongoing trials of individuals who once “received full support to continue an aggressive policy against Azerbaijan.”

He added, “On September 2, 2023, Pashinyan congratulated separatists on the so-called independence anniversary.”

Pashinyan, in turn, asserted that the fabricated trials in Baku are being used as a tool against Armenia. He claimed that regional and extraregional forces aim to spark new escalations, saying, “What is happening is not only concerning but will be used to provoke escalation in the region. Intelligence data indicates that banned psychotropic substances are being used on these individuals to extract statements aimed at inciting regional escalation.”