For what purposes does Aliyev need the military-political leadership of Artsakh?

On Tuesday, December 26, the representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reportedly handed over parcels sent by relatives from Armenia to the former leaders of Artsakh detained in Baku.

It should be recalled that Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Ruben Vardanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, David Ishkhanyan and David Manukyan are among the representatives of the military and political leadership of Artsakh held captive in Azerbaijan.

This information provides an opportunity to discuss the following question once again: for what purposes does Aliyev need the military-political leadership of Artsakh? It should be noted that Ilham Aliyev’s strategic goal of destroying Armenian statehood is directly related to the fact that the former officials of Artsakh are being held captive.

Despite the fact that public opinion in Armenia continues to be manipulated by statements that, for example, the activities of the state institutions of Artsakh pose a threat to the security of the Republic of Armenia and may give Azerbaijan a reason for new aggression against Armenia, the reality is that Baku considers the existence of Armenian statehood itself to be the main threat to Azerbaijan.

Aliyev is well aware that without Yerevan’s military, political and economic assistance, Artsakh would not have been able to exist since 1994 and effectively fight Azerbaijani aggression. Accordingly, the main goal of Azerbaijan remains the maximum weakening of Armenia itself, up to the elimination of the state.

The political class of Armenia does not understand well what is happening and for what purpose Ghukasyan, Sahakyan, Babayan, Manukyan, Harutyunyan, Ishkhanyan, Mnatsakanyan and Vardanyan were abducted.

The task of Azerbaijan is as follows: to obtain clear evidence from the military and political leadership of Artsakh that the Armenian authorities played a key role in the formation of the state and legal order of Artsakh. This will give Aliyev the opportunity to demand compensation from Armenia. It may also give Azerbaijan grounds to demand the extradition to Azerbaijan of representatives of the military and political leadership of Armenia.

The political class of Armenia did not understand this. They did not understand that the ill-fated Roman statute was also ratified for this purpose in order to extradite the 1991-2018 members of the Armenian state power system at the very first request of the International Criminal Court.

Azerbaijan and Turkiye, which stands behind it, do not hide their goals. The fact is that we are constantly trying to deceive ourselves. We try to convince ourselves that “we can do it,” that “the international community will save us,” or that the fact that “our state is a member of the United Nations” will save us…

Now we are actually observing a unique case of collective, national and mass self-deception. Think about all of the above and the consequences that await us all.