Bakut Has a 'Special' Attitude Towards Vardanyan Says Beglaryan

The Azerbaijani authorities are exhibiting a 'special' negative attitude towards the former Prime Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ruben Vardanyan. This was stated by former Prime Minister of Artsakh and former Human Rights Defender Artak Beglaryan during a discussion on 'Political Trials in Baku: What to Expect for Ruben Vardanyan and the Former Leaders of Artsakh' held at a media center.

'As far as I understand, there are currently 16 prisoners of war being held in Baku who have not yet been tried, and their criminal cases are still pending,' noted Artak Beglaryan.

Addressing the question of what fate might await Ruben Vardanyan, the former Prime Minister of Artsakh detained in Baku, Beglaryan pointed out that there is a clear targeted and 'special' attitude towards Vardanyan in Baku. 'Given that a special statement has been made regarding Ruben Vardanyan, and that there is attention from various international organizations as well as from the Azerbaijani authorities, it seems that the Azerbaijani authorities display a negative 'special' attitude towards Ruben Vardanyan. This attitude is, of course, present towards all political leaders, but it is more pronounced in Vardanyan's case, considering that his legal team and family are fighting against these criminal cases more publicly and aggressively,' emphasized Beglaryan.

He expressed confidence that all criminal cases are fabricated, mainly involving charges of organizing and financing terrorism and other unfounded allegations. 'The struggle of the people of Artsakh cannot in any way be categorized as terrorism, because we have defended ourselves militarily, and the rest has been entirely a political struggle, whose figures and leaders are precisely those former officials currently imprisoned in Baku,' highlighted former Prime Minister of Artsakh, Human Rights Defender Artak Beglaryan.