Expert: Artsakh leaders indicted on 1,500 counts in Azerbaijan
Artsakh’s former military and political leaders are facing charges in Azerbaijan in connection with episodes starting from 1987, Anna Melikyan, a legal expert at the Protection of Rights Without Borders NGO, said on Thursday.
The expert revealed that they were indicted on some 1,500 counts. The criminal cases have been forwarded to the court, with preliminary hearings to be set within 15 to 30 days.
“It's important to state that since 2020, we've observed the treatment [in Azerbaijan] of detained persons and their trials, and the absence of guarantees for a fair trial is obvious,” she underscored.
Melikyan pointed out that interviews with repatriated Armenian prisoners of war and civilians indicate that the free lawyers and public defenders provided by the Azerbaijani authorities do not offer any genuine legal defense. “Even when meetings with the defendants are held, they are of a formal nature,” she added.