Artsakh leaders’ imprisonment in Baku is consequence of Armenian authorities’ policies – Vigen Hakobyan

The trial in Baku’s military court over the fabricated case against former military-political leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh has concluded. According to Azerbaijani media, the Baku court sentenced former Nagorno-Karabakh president Arayik Harutyunyan to life imprisonment. Life sentences were also handed down to former Defense Army commander Levon Mnatsakanyan, former deputy commander Davit Manukyan, former parliament speaker Davit Ishkhanyan, and former foreign minister Davit Babayan.

Former Artsakh presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan were sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Alpha News discussed this issue with political strategist Vigen Hakobyan.

“It is a sad fact, but it was 100% predictable that such verdicts would be issued. This process was political from the very beginning and had nothing to do with criminal proceedings. Moreover, it was a political process in which Armenia’s leaders are also effectively participants, since the imprisonment of Artsakh’s military-political leadership in Baku is a direct consequence of the policies pursued by Armenia’s current authorities,” Hakobyan said.

According to him, Artsakh fell after Nikol Pashinyan declared that Armenia would not be drawn into someone else’s war.

“Only after that did Artsakh’s military-political leadership and the people of Artsakh realize that Armenia had essentially betrayed them. They understood that they had no support from anywhere, from any corner of the world. That is why they were forced to leave,” Hakobyan emphasized.