Armenian Foreign Ministry slams sham trial of Artsakh man in Baku
The Armenian Foreign Ministry has denounced the sham trial of 68-year-old Artsakh civilian Vagif Khachatryan which started in Baku on Friday.
Vagif Khachatryan was abducted and arrested by Azerbaijani border guards at the Lachin checkpoint on July 29. He was one of 15 patients being evacuated to Armenia by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The man is facing charges of "genocide" and "deportation or forced movement of the population" under Azerbaijan's Criminal Code.
“Sham "trial", show of complete disregard of 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 & was abducted at illegal checkpoint weeks before ethnic cleansing in NK,” Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ani Badalyan wrote on X.
“Illegal abduction, in flagrant violation of IHL [international humanitarian law], 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, Armenian POWs & civilians still kept hostage in Baku should be released,” she added.