Siranush Sahakyan: The sham trial in Baku proved that the Armenian prisoners had no connection to the Azerbaijani testimonies (Press)

The lengthy sham trial held in Baku showed that the Armenian prisoners of war had no connection, even indirect, with the testimony provided by Azerbaijani witnesses: the acts attributed to the Armenians on trial were not proven, Siranush Sahakyan, a lawyer representing the prisoners before the European Court of Human Rights, told Radio Azatutyun (the Armenian service of Radio Liberty).

“The testimonies were all identical in content, and all the witnesses confirmed that they did not personally know the Armenians on trial and had never had any dealings with them. This is a key finding: it shows that the so-called evidence establishes no objective link with the acts alleged and in no way constitutes a credible reconstruction of events,” Sahakyan explained.

The trial of former Artsakh political and military leaders and other Armenian prisoners is now closed. According to Azerbaijani state media, closing arguments will be delivered next week.

"We are faced with abstract accusations; no link could be established between the alleged facts and the defendants, nor between the victims and the events. “

The hearings took place without the presence of independent media or representatives of international organizations. The only source of information on the trial remains the state news agency AzerTac.

According to Siranush Sahakyan, the entire trial was nothing more than a sham:

”Both the closing arguments and the verdicts are written in advance. There is no doubt that the sentences will be condemnatory and extremely severe, since this is all a political order."

Another indication of the fictitious nature of the trial is the fact that the prosecution requested only two days for closing arguments, whereas a trial of this magnitude would require several weeks. The lawyer expects the verdicts to be handed down by the end of the year.

“The challenge now is to have these violations recognized and to obtain an appropriate international response, particularly in the form of judicial decisions. The goal is to have these illegal judgments overturned through international legal mechanisms; the only possible course of action is to challenge these proceedings before supranational courts so that they officially recognize their illegitimacy.”

When asked about the possibility that the Pashinyan government, which is engaged in a peace process with Azerbaijan, might refer these cases to international bodies to denounce the violation of the right to a fair trial, Sahakyan replied:

"If developments occur, such as the possible withdrawal of inter-state complaints, the families will have to organize themselves and finance their own defense in order to assert their rights. "

Ruben Vardanyan's trial is also coming to an end. The trial of former Artsakh senior official Ruben Vardanyan is continuing in Baku. According to Siranush Sahakyan, it will reach its final stage in the coming weeks. Vardanyan is the only Armenian prisoner who has been able to hire an Azerbaijani lawyer at his own expense. However, ten days ago, he publicly dismissed the lawyer, calling the trial a “farce” and denouncing the deprivation of his right to defense.

The former Artsakh Minister of State also has an American lawyer, but the authorities are refusing to allow him to enter Azerbaijani territory. Armenian prisoners are deprived of any independent defense and access to representatives of international organizations. The International Committee of the Red Cross, the only channel of contact with them, has also been prevented from carrying out its mission in Baku.

“November 4 is the deadline set for Azerbaijan to submit a report to the European Court of Human Rights on the conditions of detention and other circumstances concerning the prisoners. We are therefore waiting for this deadline to expire so that we can examine the documents provided and draw the necessary conclusions,” the lawyer said.

23 Armenian prisoners still detained in Baku

Twenty-three Armenian prisoners of war are currently being held in Baku prison, charged under particularly serious articles of the Azerbaijani criminal code. Armenian officials say they are “doing everything” to secure their repatriation, but the issue was not included in the agreement signed on August 8 between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

During his meeting at the White House with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, US President Donald Trump promised to intervene with Ilham Aliyev on behalf of the “23 Christian prisoners.” However, since this statement, there has been no official information indicating that any steps have been taken.