On January 17, Azerbaijan began trials of 16 Armenian captives… in military courtrooms, to which international media and observers have been denied access.
The next court hearings are slated for January 27, during which court decisions are expected to be announced. As of now, the trials are open only to Azerbaijani state media.
Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing against the Armenian people of Artsakh has been proceeding for the past four years…. Azeri soldiers posted videos and photos of themselves beheading and mutilating Armenians.
“A court hearing of my case is scheduled for January 27 at 3:00 PM. I have been informed that I am facing 42 charges, some of which carry sentences up to life imprisonment. However, I have not been granted the opportunity to fully review the official indictment. My lawyer and I were merely allowed to skim through 422 volumes of the case files, all written solely in the Azerbaijani language, which I do not understand…. Moreover, pressure has been exerted on me, my lawyer, and my interpreter to force us to backdate and sign documents, including falsified protocols and records of interrogations that never took place…. Let me reiterate: all protocols bearing my signature are falsifications.” — Ruben Vardanyan, former State Minister of Artsakh, January 16, 2025.
One of the Armenian hostages tortured in an Azeri prison is Vicken Euljekjian… [detained] 10 hours after the ceasefire had gone into effect…. A court sentenced Euljekjian to 20 years imprisonment after a short trial without adequate legal representation…. Liparit Drmeyan, an aide to Armenia’s representative to the European Court of Human Rights, said that Euljekjian did not have access to lawyers that were chosen by him…. [His wife said he] has requested a retrial and a lawyer, but the Azeri authorities refuse to meet these requests. […]
— Read More: www.gatestoneinstitute.org
