«Papa, Forgive Us»: Vera Khachatryan's Message to Her Father in Baku Prison

Vera Khachatryan, the daughter of Vagif Khachatryan imprisoned in Baku, made an emotional post on her Facebook page on her father's 70th birthday. She wrote, “Sometimes it seems that every word is superfluous, but there are days when you cannot remain silent. Today is my father's 70th birthday, and we are going crazy with helplessness because we cannot just call and say, ‘Papa, happy birthday.’ Forgive us, the powerless… You will feel our warmth—the strength that should help you endure all difficulties. No boundary can separate us. You will come… we are confident… You promised…”

Vagif Khachatryan was sentenced to 15 years in prison in Baku. He will spend the first five years of his sentence in prison and the remaining years in a high-security colony. During the trial, he stated that he has no connection to the charges against him.

He was abducted from the bridge of Hakar on July 29, 2023, while being transferred from Artsakh to Armenia. Azerbaijani authorities accuse him of alleged crimes committed in the village of Meshali on December 22, 1991, but Khachatryan denied the charges during the trial.