Karabakh President says Baku could bring charges against anyone

PanARMENIAN.Net - The kidnapping of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) civilian Vagif Khachatryan by Azerbaijan is evidence that any step taken by Azerbaijan is fraught with security risks for the people of Karabakh, President Arayik Harutyunyan said in an interview with Artsakh TV on August 6.

“A person who has nothing to do with military action is kidnapped and presented as a person who committed genocide. It is clear that the policy of Azerbaijan will be the same in the future, and the life of any citizen of Artsakh is in danger. If they can bring charges against Vagif Khachatryan, then they can bring the same charges against any citizen of Artsakh,” he said.

The President of Artsakh said that they are trying to get information about Khachatryan through Russian peacekeepers and the Red Cross.

“It seems that his health condition is under control, but we must take into account that he had serious health problems, so he was being transferred to Yerevan for a surgery. We will fight, the fate of Vagif Khachatryan is very important for us, and we will take it as a basis in all further contacts, in our steps. This behavior of Azerbaijan is an indicator of how they are trying to behave towards others in the future,” he stressed.

Since December 12, 2022, the sole road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia - the Lachin Corridor - has been blocked by Azerbaijan. Baku tightened the blockade on June 15, 2023, banning emergency relief supplies that were carried out by Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross through the sole road connecting Karabakh to Armenia and the outside world. The move aggravated the shortages of food, medicine and other essential items experienced by the region’s population.