Armenian Officials in Artsakh Are Forced to Give Statements That Do Not Reflect Their Political Views: Sahakyan

I exclude the possibility of free expression in the interviews given by the former military-political leadership of Artsakh, who are unlawfully held in Baku; they are under real and immediate threats to their lives and it is understandable that they are compelled to participate in interviews. This was stated by Siranush Sahakyan, the head of the Center for International and Comparative Law, in an interview with NEWS.am.

“It is very important to clarify whether these officials are giving interviews out of free will and initiative. If their desire and initiative do not come from them, we are dealing with numerous violations of rights. It is clear that, during the time they are held in captivity in Azerbaijan, they would hardly possess strong motivations or desires to give interviews. I completely rule out the notion of free expression; they are all under real and immediate threats to their lives and understandably compelled to participate in interviews,” she noted.

According to Siranush Sahakyan, from the perspective of human rights, there is coercion involved, which can also have psychological manifestations: “When there is no personal desire, but a person's image, voice, and behavior are used, and the right to the inviolability of their private life is intervened with, it constitutes a violation. Furthermore, these officials are forced to give expressions that do not align with their thoughts, conscience, and viewpoints, including political ones. At least in terms of their activities, we know that they have acted in favor of the recognition of Artsakh’s self-determination, and I am sure that other views will be expressed in the interviews. Here, we are also confronted with violations of the right to freedom of expression, as they are compelled to express viewpoints that contradict their beliefs and ideologies.”

She emphasized that their will is restricted, and through coercion, they participate in these interviews: “There is clear violation of the right to freedom of expression here. When a person does not wish to express any opinion, but is compelled to do so, violations of the right to freedom of expression and the inviolability of private life inevitably occur. However, the most significant aspect is that these violations are consequences of inhumane treatment, coercion, and pressures, which can have psychological manifestations. Based on our experience, I can say that we have numerous documented cases where, for instance, a person has been doused with fuel before the interview and threatened with a lighter that they will be burned if they do not articulate specific words. Such measures have been applied against innocent abducted civilians, soldiers, prisoners of war, and even individuals in vulnerable groups.”

When asked what Armenia should do in this situation, Sahakyan stated, “In terms of legal processes, complaints should be filed, and these new manifestations of rights violations should be reflected in the complaints. Of course, it is impossible to prevent or exclude human rights violations in Azerbaijan. The only real support is to achieve their release through active diplomatic and political efforts. Armenia needs to be very intensive in ensuring the return through political and diplomatic means as quickly as possible. However, to be honest, developments and results here are not particularly encouraging.”