MP Discusses Azerbaijan's Criminal Prosecution of Araik Harutyunyan

Recently, a representative of Azerbaijan's prosecutor's office announced criminal prosecution against the President of the Republic of Artsakh, Araik Harutyunyan, citing some narrative regarding a missile attack on Ganja. This was reported by Taguhi Tovmasyan, a member of the "I Have Honor" faction.

She specifically noted: “A representative of the Azerbaijani authorities speaks about missile attacks at a time when Azerbaijan has unleashed large-scale military aggression against Artsakh, violating the fundamental principles of refraining from the use of force or threats of force and peaceful resolution of disputes, using weapons prohibited by general international law, targeting the civilian population and infrastructure of Artsakh.

I draw the attention of my international partners to the fact that a representative of the state that has imposed war on the peaceful population of Artsakh is announcing the initiation of criminal cases against the legitimate president of a state that has exercised self-defense, a fact that aims to instill fear among the population of Artsakh.

The President of the Republic of Artsakh is presented as the “leader of a self-proclaimed regime” when, on September 2, 1991, a decision was adopted on the “Declaration of the Independence of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh”, and the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic was ratified by a referendum among the population of Nagorno-Karabakh on December 10, 1991, fully in accordance with international legal norms and the legislation of the USSR.

I have addressed several international organizations to condemn Azerbaijan's absolutely unacceptable behavior towards the institution of the president elected through democratic elections by the people of Artsakh. Azerbaijan's criminal actions will continue as long as appropriate mechanisms of accountability are not implemented.