Former Artsakh leader rejects charges against him and fellow compatriots in Baku court

During the show trial in Baku, former Artsakh President Bako Sahakyan reiterated that the Artsakh issue is not a matter for criminal or judicial deliberation, opposition Pativ Unem faction MP Tigran Abrahamyan reported.

The lawmaker said Sahakyan essentially argued that the Karabakh movement, which began in 1988 and was based on the relevant article of the Soviet Union’s constitution and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, was a legitimate exercise of the Artsakh people’s right to self-determination.

"Rejecting the charges against him, Bako Sahakyan claimed before the court that neither he nor his fellow compatriots facing trial under this article had committed any illegal and criminally punishable act," Abrahamyan wrote.