Former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan expressed serious doubts about the circumstances surrounding Azerbaijan’s capture of military leaders in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), stating that he doubts that some elements of this list were compiled without Armenia’s involvement.
When asked on the Imnemnimi AntiFake TV podcast whether Ilham Aliyev might one day demand that Nikol Pashinyan extradite him or others, Sargsyan replied: ‘I don’t think that will happen.’
Regarding the capture of Karabakh’s military leaders, he clarified: ‘The former leaders of Karabakh, who are currently being held in custody in Baku, had no alternative. There were two options: to flee to Armenia, which would have discredited their position and allowed others to criticise them for abandoning their people, or to choose self-sacrifice. They chose self-sacrifice.’
Sargsyan added that evacuation by air would have been possible, as was done for former Karabakh President Samvel Shakhramanyan, but ‘certain circumstances prevented this.’
‘I have strong suspicions that some people ended up on this list thanks to Armenia’s intervention,’ he said, adding that Samvel Shakhramanyan also knows about this list and that the time will come when he himself will talk about it.
The former president found it strange that the Azerbaijanis allowed the current commander to cross the border but captured an officer who had not held his position for two years, referring to Levon Mnatsakanyan.
For Sargsyan, the capture of Karabakh’s military leaders is a national pain and humiliation: ‘How can we talk about peace when we have Armenian prisoners? What kind of peace can there be when shelling continues at the border, as it did before 2018?’
He stressed that the return of the prisoners would be a positive sign that the Armenian side is also gaining something in the negotiations.
Who are the Armenian prisoners held illegally in Azerbaijan?
Of the 23 Armenian prisoners languishing in Azerbaijani jails, 8 are members of Artsakh’s military-political leadership, 6 are captured civilians and 9 are Armenian prisoners of war.
Azerbaijan, while presenting these people with a number of serious and absurd accusations, is cynically manipulating them by linking their fate to the political concessions that the Azerbaijani authorities are demanding from the Republic of Armenia as part of the peace negotiations. Fundamentally, these prisoners are hostages, being used by Baku to achieve one or other of its objectives.
Political prisoners
Davit Babayan is an Armenian politician and statesman, a political scientist with a doctoral degree in History.
Davit Babayan served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh from 2021 to 2023 and is an associate professor. Born on 5 April 1973, in Stepanakert, int he autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh (formerly part of the Soviet Union), he is the founding president of the Conservative Party of Artsakh and holds the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Davit Babayan was taken hostage on 28 September 2023 by the Azerbaijani authorities.
Davit Ishkhanyan is a politician and statesman who has been serving as the President of the National Assembly of the Artsakh Republic since August 2023, a month before the Azerbaijani aggression.
Davit lshkhanyan was born on 27 December 1968, in the village of Ashan, Martuni region, Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region (USSR). Hepreviously held the position of deputy in the Supreme Council during the first convocation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. In 2015, Davit lshkhanyan was elected as a deputy of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic National Assembly. Ishkhanyan is a member of the Bureau of the ARF ‘Dashnaktsutyun’ political party. On 3 October 2023, Davit lshkhanyan was kidnapped by Azerbaijani forces in Stepanakert and abducted to Baku.
Arkady Ghukasyan is an Armenian politician and statesman. Arkady Ghukasyan is the second President of the Republic of Artsakh (1997-2007).
Arkady Ghukasyan was born on 22 June 1957 in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region (USSR). He was Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, former Ambassador in charge of Special Missions of the President of the Republic of Armenia. On 3 October 2023, Arkady Ghukasyan was kidnapped by Azerbaijani forces in Stepanakert and abducted to Baku.
Arayik Harutyunyan is an Armenian politician and statesman, the former President (2020-2023) of the Republic of Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh.
Arayik Harutyunyan was born on 14 December 1973, in Stepanakert in Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region (Soviet Union). He holds a doctorate in Technical Sciences. Previously adeputy in the National Assembly, he served as the Minister of State (2017-2020) and is the Chairman ofthe Azat Hayrenik Party. Arayik Harutyunyan was kidnapped and abducted to Baku by the Azerbaijani authorities on 3 October 2023.
Davit Manukyan is an Armenian military officer holding the rank of Major General.
Davit Manukyan was born on 15 October 1971, in Jermuk (Armenian SSR, Soviet Union). He held various military positions within the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia and the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh (1992-2022). As the Former First Deputy Commander of the Artsakh Defense Army, he retired from the military in 2022. Davit Manukyan was kidnapped by the Azerbaijani authorities on September 27, 2023 while entering Armenia with other Artsakh civilians at the illegal checkpoint on the Hakari Bridge, established following the illegal blockade of the Berdzor (Latchin) corridor by Azerbaijan.
Lyova (Levon) Mnatsakanyan is an Armenian military officer, a former commander of the Defense Army, Minister of Defense of the Republic of Artsakh / Nagorno Karabakh (2015-2018), and a lieutenant general.
Levon Mnatsakanyan was born on 14 September 1965, in Stepanakert, in the autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh (formerly part of the Soviet Union). Serving as the commander of the Defense Army and the first deputy chief of staff, Levon Mnatsakanyan was kidnapped by Azerbaijani forces on 29 September 2023 while entering Armenia with other Artsakh civilians at the illegal checkpoint on the Hakari Bridge, established following the illegal blockade of the Berdzor (Latchin) corridor by Azerbaijan.
Bako Sahakyan is an Armenian politician and statesman. Sahakyan is the third and longest-serving President of the Republic of Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh, having held this position from July 2007 to May 2020. He holds the rank of Major General in the Armenian Armed Forces.
Bako Sahakyan was born on 30 August 1960,in Stepanakert, in the autonomous region of Nagorno-Karabakh (formerly part of the Soviet Union), he held the position of Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Artsakh after serving as the Director of the National Security Service of the Republic of Artsakh. He was kidnapped in Stepanakert by the Azerbaijani authorities and was abducted to Baku on 3 October 2023.
Ruben Vardanyan is an Armenian businessman, philanthropist, public figure and politician. He was born on 25 May 1968 in Yerevan, Armenian SSR (Soviet Union). Vardanyan was Minister of State (Prime Minister) of the Republic of Artsakh from 4 November 2022 to 27 September 2023. Ruben Vardanyan is co-founder of the Aurora humanitarian initiative.
Ruben Vardanyan was abducted by the Azerbaijani authorities on 27 September 2023 as he was entering Armenia with other Artsakh civilians at the illegal checkpoint on the Hakari Bridge, set up following Azerbaijan’s illegal blockade of the Berdzor (Latchin) corridor.
Civilian prisoners
Madat Badayan
Born September 15, 1952
The 71-year-old shepherd was reported missing after the September 19, 2023 attack. On November 2, 2023, Baku announced his arrest.
Rashid Beglaryan
Born on 2 November 1962.
Arrested in 2023. On 1 August, during the Azerbaijani blockade of Artsakh, while walking in the village of Aghavno, which had passed under Azerbaijani control a year earlier.
On 12 July 2024, in a show trial at the Baku military court, Beglaryan was found guilty of war crimes for his participation in the first Artsakh war in the early 1990s and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
David Davtyan
Born on 5 February 1993.
The humanitarian worker was kidnapped (along with his associate Gevorg Sujyan) in 2020. 11 November (after the announcement of a trilateral ceasefire on 9 November) on the Berdzor-Shushi road in Artsakh.
On 28 July 2021, Davtyan and Sujyan were found guilty of espionage and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment in a mock trial at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes.
Vicken Euljekjian
Born on 12 July 1979.
On 10 November 2020, hours after the 2020 ceasefire agreement entered into force, Eolchekjian, an Armenian citizen of Lebanese origin, was abducted in Shushi, Artsakh, along with his girlfriend of Lebanese Armenian origin, Maral Najarian, who was travelling with him.
Le 14 juin 2021, lors d’un simulacre de procès au tribunal de district de Yasamal, Eolchekjian a été reconnu coupable de terrorisme et de mercenariat et condamné à 20 ans d’emprisonnement.
Gevorg Sujyan
Born on 21 January 1989
This aid worker was abducted (along with his partner David Davtyan) on 11 November 2020 (after the announcement of a trilateral ceasefire on 9 November) on the Berdzor-Shushi road in Artsakh.
On 28 July 2021, in a show trial at the Baku Serious Crimes Court, Sujyan and Davtyan were found guilty of espionage and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Vagif Khachatryan
Born on 28 October 1955.
Khachatryan was evacuated from Artsakh by the International Committee of the Red Cross to receive emergency medical treatment in Armenia when Azerbaijani border guards abducted him from the Lachin Corridor checkpoint on 29 July 2023.
His formal trial took place in the Yasamal District Court, presided over by Judge Jamal Ramazanov of the Baku Military Court, on 13 October 2023, where he was groundlessly accused of committing ‘genocide’ in the village of Meshali, Khojaly district, during the First Artsakh War in the 1990s. On 7 November, he was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment. A subsequent appeal was rejected.
Prisoners of war
David Alaverdyan
Age : 36 years
Time of arrest : September 2023
Place of arrest : Artsakh
Levon Balayan
Age: 46 years
Time of arrest: September 2023 Place of arrest: Artsakh
Vasily Beglaryan
Age: 31 years
Time of arrest: September 2023 Place of arrest: Artsakh
Eric Ghazaryan
Age: 39
Date of arrest: September 2023
Place of arrest: Artsakh
Alesha Khosrovyan
Age: 56
Time of arrest: 3 October 2020
Place of arrest: Artsakh
His (and Ludvig Mkrtchyan’s) mock trial took place in June 2021 at the administrative building of the Yasamal District Court. Khosrovyan was found guilty of torturing Azerbaijani hostages taken during the First Artsakh War in the 1990s and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment on 2 August 2021.
Garik Martirosyan
Age: 52 years
At the time of his arrest: September 2023.
Place of arrest: Artsakh
Ludwig Mkrtchyan
Age: 54
At the time of his arrest on 20 October 2020.
Place of arrest: Artsakh
His (and Alesha Hsoroyan’s) mock trial took place in June 2021 at the administrative building of the Yasamal District Court. Mkrtchyan was found guilty of torturing Azerbaijani hostages taken during the first Artsakh war in the 1990s and is due to be sentenced in 2021. On 2 August, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Melikset Pashayan
Age: 53 years
At the time of arrest: September 2023.
Place of arrest: Artsakh
Gurgen Stepanyan
Age: 37 years
At the time of his arrest: September 2023.
Place of arrest: Artsakh
Source: Aravot / ArmActu
Main source: aravot.am / armactu.fr