Analyst calls Baku verdicts against Artsakh leaders a political farce

A military court in Baku on Thursday sentenced five former leaders of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) to life imprisonment, while two others received 20-year prison terms.

Political analyst Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan described the trial and the verdicts as a “farce”, arguing that the fate of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan is a political issue rather than a legal one. According to him, Azerbaijan’s leadership continues to use Armenian prisoners as political leverage, with potential releases timed to coincide with elections in Armenia or high-profile international visits.

“Such a scenario is also possible during U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s regional visit,” Melik-Shahnazaryan said, reiterating that the matter is fundamentally political and calling for efforts to change the situation.