Artsakh ombudsman urges int'l community to ensure Vagif Khachatryan's immediate repatriation
Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan has called for international action to immediately repatriate Artsakh civilian Vagif Khachatryan standing trial on fabricated charges in Azerbaijan.
The 68-year-old man was abducted and arrested by Azerbaijani border guards at the Lachin checkpoint on 29 July while being evacuated to Armenia by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for an urgent heart surgery.
He was remanded into pre-trial custody facing fabricated charges of terrorism. A court in Baku began his sham trial on Friday, October 13.
“While blatantly violating the international law, Azerbaijan conducts an arbitrary trial against an innocent person based on a fabricated criminal case,” the Artsakh ombudsman wrote on X on Friday.
“The international community must stand for the human rights and values that it champions by ensuring the immediate and safe return of Vagif Khachatryan to Armenia,” he said.
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