MP: Armenian detainees' statements distorted in Baku court

PanARMENIAN.Net - Several Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan have informed their families that their testimony is being distorted during court proceedings in Baku, according to MP Tigran Abrahamyan from the "I Have Honor" faction.

In a post on Facebook, Abrahamyan highlighted the fabricated nature of the trials of Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan, citing a notable incident involving Davit Ishkhanyan.

During one of the trials, Ishkhanyan reportedly recalled that he had requested transcripts of the May 24 and 26 court sessions in a previous hearing, but the judge gave an evasive response.

Why is this important? The entire judicial process involving Armenians held in Azerbaijani prisons is heavily marred by falsifications—from testimonies to translations.

Moreover, multiple defendants have reportedly informed their families that various statements published by Azerbaijani media regarding their trials do not reflect reality. In some cases, their actual words were not only distorted but presented in a completely opposite manner.

Abrahamyan believes Ishkhanyan's insistence on accessing the transcripts is an attempt to expose these falsifications and prevent future misrepresentations—efforts that the court is actively stalling.

"Nonetheless, our compatriots continue their struggle under extremely unequal and dire conditions," Abrahamyan stated, concluding with a call for freedom for those held in Azerbaijani prisons.

In September 2023, following a nine-month blockade and the ethnic cleansing of the entire Armenian population of Artsakh, Azerbaijan captured former Artsakh presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan, as well as former state minister Ruben Vardanyan, foreign minister Davit Babayan, and several other former officials. The fabricated charges against them could result in life sentences. Their show trial began in Baku on January 17.