Davit Ishkhanyan from Baku prison. Still in 2024, official persons who communicated with us, hinted to us, indirectly made it clear that you are here as much as the Armenian authorities want.

The message of Davit Ishkhanyan, the President of Artsakh National Assembly, who is in prison in Baku

Yesterday, a preliminary hearing was held at the Baku Court of Appeal regarding our appeal. We have appealed against the verdict of the Baku military court of February 5th, and the trial already started yesterday, and the first court hearing is scheduled for June 2nd. You know, peace and trial is very special, especially considering the fact that the verdict was delivered to us on April 21 with delays and artificial obstacles.

And it should not be surprising if I say that until now neither the defense nor the prosecution have received the verdict, the full text of the verdict. they received only the extract. Yesterday, I personally petitioned for the court to provide both the defenders and all my defenders with the full version of the verdict, as well as the full version of the indictment, but the court surprisingly, and somewhat understandably, rejected my proposal, my petition.

Our indictment from December 17, 2024 until now, during this two-year court process, does not even have a defense, and does not provide one.

I will have an opportunity to talk about the trial, I will have an opportunity to talk about the publicizing of the general process. This time I think I will be satisfied with it. I only have to say that those who can get acquainted with the 15 sections of the indictment can already have a complete idea of ​​what is happening and what is going on. That is, the so-called fair, free, open trial, that it is a fiction, that there is nothing there, and it is a completely censored, controlled retaliatory trial, and in that sense, the publicity also takes place in the same way, misleading the society of Azerbaijan with one press, trying to mislead the international community as well.

Yesterday, I also petitioned on two issues to have an online broadcast to organize an open trial, the same I proposed in the court of first instance, but it was rejected. I also offered it yesterday, but it was rejected. And my second proposal was that the media, AzTV, which was present, the representatives of that media, to be banned by the court from attending court sessions for their disinformation and manipulative actions, was also rejected by the court.

Anyway, let’s leave this question aside. I think one of the important defenders, not unknown here, who spoke up during his speech, could not bear it, just burst out and said that we will be ashamed in front of our generations for organizing such a trial, that was the whole assessment. And in general, I must say that it is a tragicomedy, and Kafka would have dreamed of being present at that trial, and it would have been an inspiration for him to write a new work, or the second part of his famous work “The Trial”.

The next thing I wanted to talk about is my verbal appeal to the human rights defender, on May 6 I verbally appealed to the human rights defender of the Republic of Armenia to somehow receive and convey to my family the full version of our verdict in Armenian and Azerbaijani. I also conveyed the same request to the ombudsman of Azerbaijan, who was in a meeting with us on the 5th of the month, and to whom I had prepared a letter on March 12. I could not deliver it for two months, I delivered that letter, and he also promised that he would do something so that the Azerbaijani version would reach my family and relatives. But there is no news, no information from either the human rights defender of Armenia or Azerbaijan. I am waiting, at least, and my family is waiting.

And regarding the trial, I must say that it is a protracted and political process, and it is not surprising that now I have to talk about a matter that I think will be understandable for the public. For two or three months, when we were here, back in January-February 2024, those individuals, official persons who communicated with us, related, suggested to us, indirectly made it clear that you are here as much as the Armenian authorities want.

We didn’t pay attention at first, we wondered how it could be like that, how our native authorities would not want us to return immediately, but from today’s point of view, everything is already clear and understandable that unfortunately it is so. Unfortunately, in terms of aligning the developments and the process of this trial with the political developments, including the political developments taking place in Armenia, it does not leave us any other opinion to have a different opinion, but that opinion becomes a conviction, especially against the background of the latest developments, when some, so to speak, untrue things are conveyed to the people of Karabakh. I don’t want to go down to that level, but there will be an occasion, I just have to say, it is clear to everyone who is to blame, who and whose activity, so to speak, resulted in all this happening.

Anyway, we have been here for three years, about three years. I have to say that neither principle, nor common sense, nor strength of spirit or will have left us and betrayed us. It will be like that from now on. It’s unfortunate, but we will continue our common line.

I have to use this opportunity to thank all those people, all those structures, those organizations who made their efforts, made decisions, made statements, in order to release us immediately. All those structures, organizations, individuals are convinced that we are innocent and should immediately return to our families.

I also want to use this opportunity to congratulate my people on the occasion of May 28, the day of restoration of Armenian statehood, and wish my people strength of spirit, will and unity. Be firm. For now.