Armenia has slammed the “sham trial” of kidnapped 68-year-old Vagif Khachatryan in Baku.
Sham “trial,” show of complete disregard for any norms in Baku against Armenian civilian, 68-year-old resident of Nagorno Karabakh who under ICRC protection was being transported to Armenia for heart surgery and was abducted at illegal checkpoint weeks before ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh,” Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ani Badalyan said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
2/2 Illegal abduction,in flagrant violation of IHL, is now followed by publication of videos & photos showing suffering of 68-year-old civilian.
As requested by numerous int’l human rights orgs & institutions, ARM POWs & civilians still kept hostage in Baku should be released. pic.twitter.com/CWXX83ILJp
— Ani Badalyan, Spokesperson of MFA of Armenia (@ArmSpoxMFA) October 13, 2023
“Illegal abduction, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, is now followed by publication of videos and photos showing the suffering of 68-year-old civilian. As requested by numerous international human rights organizations and institutions, Armenian POWs and civilians still kept hostage in Baku should be released,” the Spokesperson said.
Ambassador-at-Large Edmon Marukyan said, in turn, “Vagif Khachatryan, abducted from Nagorno Karabakh, has nothing to do with the crime, he is merely punished for being born in Nagorno Karabagh and for living on his ancestral land.”
“I want to make this very clear, in Azerbaijan, where the government has not changed for more than 20 years, during which 5 presidents were elected in Nagorno-Karabakh, which Freedom House rated as partially free with 37 score by all indicators, and Azerbaijan – Not Free, with 9 scores, there cannot be a fair trial, fair court and/or fair accusation,” Marukyan said.
“All existing proceedings are a farce, a mockery of the European Convention and a violation of all universally accepted international norms in the context of all obligations undertaken by Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan must end the treatments that degrade people’s fundamental freedoms and human dignity and release all prisoners from Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh immediately,” he added.
