Siranush Sahakyan, President of the International and Comparative Law Center and representative for Armenian detainees at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), stated that the return of former members of Artsakh’s military and political leadership held in Azerbaijan can only occur through political agreements backed by international support.
“I am convinced that the verdicts of Baku courts cannot hinder the release of the 23 Armenians detained there, if political agreements for their return are reached with international backing,” she told Aysor.am .
Commenting on the sentences demanded by Azerbaijani prosecutors in Baku’s trials of Artsakh leaders, Sahakyan said: “Given that the proceedings were fabricated, it was expected that this farce would conclude with prosecutors demanding harsh penalties.”
She noted that the 20-year prison terms sought for former Artsakh presidents Bako Sahakyan and Arkadi Ghukasyan—as opposed to life sentences for David Babayan and Arayik Harutyunyan—had nothing to do with humanitarian concerns or differentiated approaches. Instead, the distinction was dictated by Azerbaijani law, which prohibits life imprisonment for defendants over 65 years of age.
She reiterated that international mechanisms exist, including the ECHR and United Nations human rights courts, and that the consequences of these trials must be neutralized through international legal processes.
“This is the only path through which we can achieve justice in international courts, delegitimize the outcomes of these farcical trials, and restore the violated rights of our Armenian hostages,” Sahakyan concluded.
According to Azerbaijani media, the prosecution is demanding life sentences for former Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, former Foreign Minister David Babayan, former Defense Army Commander Levon Mnatsakanyan, former Deputy Commander David Manukyan, and former Parliament Speaker David Ishkhanyan. It is also seeking 20-year sentences for former Presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan, as well as for Madat Babayan and Pashayan Melikset. Other proposed sentences include: Garik Martirosyan – 19 years, David Alaverdyan – 18 years, Levon Babayan – 17 years, Vasili Beglaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan, and Edik Ghazaryan – 16 years each.
