Armenian POW From Baku Prison Says Azerbaijan Told Him: “You Are Here as Long as the Armenian Government Wants”

Former President of the National Assembly of Artsakh, David Ishkhanyan, has said from a prison in Baku that Azerbaijani officials directly told Armenian detainees that their continued imprisonment depends on the decisions and actions of the Armenian authorities.

During a phone conversation with his family from prison, Ishkhanyan stated that Azerbaijani officials made it clear to them that “you are here for as long as the Armenian authorities want you to be here.”

According to Ishkhanyan, statements of that nature initially caused surprise among the detainees, but over time they have come to see them as reflecting the reality of their situation.

He argued that the ongoing detention process and the prolonged court proceedings are being deliberately connected to political developments, including internal developments taking place in Armenia.

“Unfortunately, the developments and the effort to align the trial process with political developments leave us with no other conclusion, especially in light of recent developments, when things that do not correspond to reality are being said about the people of Karabakh. I do not want to descend to that level, but there will come a time to speak. It is clear to everyone who is guilty and whose actions led to all of this,” he said.

The remarks came after a preliminary appeal hearing at the Baku Court of Appeal. Following the hearing, Ishkhanyan described the proceedings as a “fully censored and controlled trial of retribution.”

According to his statement, the court rejected defense motions requesting live online broadcasts of the hearings as well as requests to provide the defense team with full access to the case materials and documents.

Ishkhanyan also criticized what he described as the contradiction between ongoing peace rhetoric in the region and the continuation of the trials against Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan. He referred to the combination of “peace and trial” as a “tragicomedy.”

At the same time, he appealed once again to both Armenian and Azerbaijani human rights defenders. His requests focused mainly on increasing transparency around the judicial process and ensuring the transfer of information related to the detainees and court proceedings.

The statement followed an earlier appeal made on April 21 by former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan. Vardanyan had called on Armenia’s Human Rights Defender, Anahit Manasyan, to organize a visit to Baku in connection with the Armenian prisoners being held there.

Manasyan later responded by saying that organizing such a visit does not fall within the legal powers and responsibilities of her office.

Speaking about the nature of the proceedings, Ishkhanyan said the trials represent a targeted attack against Armenian statehood itself.

“Franz Kafka would dream of being present at such a trial, and it would inspire him either to write a new work or continue his famous ‘The Trial,’” the Artsakh figure said.

Despite the circumstances, Ishkhanyan said that neither reason nor strength of spirit has abandoned the detainees. He also expressed gratitude to all organizations, activists, and individuals demanding their immediate release.

During the phone conversation, he congratulated Armenians on May 28, the Day of the Restoration of Armenian Statehood, one of Armenia’s most important national holidays marking the establishment of the First Republic of Armenia in 1918.

According to official data, 19 Armenian prisoners are currently being held in Azerbaijani prisons. The detainees include former military commanders and political leaders from Artsakh. Several have reportedly received prison sentences ranging from 15 to 20 years, while others, including Ishkhanyan, have been sentenced to life imprisonment by Azerbaijani courts.

Ishkhanyan served as President of the National Assembly of Artsakh before the Azerbaijani  occupation in 2023 and was among the senior Armenian figures captured by Azerbaijani authorities following the collapse of the self-proclaimed republic.

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