Former Artsakh parliament speaker Davit Ishkhanyan issues message from Baku prison

Former Artsakh parliament speaker Davit Ishkhanyan issued a message from prison in Baku on Thursday, saying that he and other Armenian prisoners have no expectations that Azerbaijan's Court of Appeals will rule in their favor, but are pursuing the process as a necessary step toward taking their cases to international courts.

The audio message was published on the Facebook page of the Artsakh parliament on Thursday.

Ishkhanyan, who is being held by Azerbaijani authorities following Azerbaijan's military takeover of Artsakh in 2023, described the proceedings against him as "a politically ordered trial" that has "nothing to do with criminal offenses."

He said he told the appellate court, as he had during the trial court proceedings, that the case was driven by political motives, national hatred and ethnic discrimination. He also alleged that the trial court committed serious violations of Azerbaijan's criminal procedure laws and international human rights standards.

According to Ishkhanyan, prosecutors and the presiding judge repeatedly interrupted his remarks, but he was ultimately able to present his arguments. He said he reviewed the verdict "article by article," arguing that it relied on defamatory claims and unsupported allegations rather than evidence.

"This is not a fabricated case," he said. "It is a patched-together case."

As an example, Ishkhanyan claimed that one defendant born in 1993 was accused of participating in military operations in 1991 and 1992 and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Ishkhanyan said he had consistently argued before both the trial and appellate courts that the proceedings were part of a broader case against the Armenian people and Armenian statehood, with long-term political objectives.

Despite expressing little confidence in Azerbaijan's judicial process, he said the prisoners remained composed and focused.

"The most difficult part is when they throw this in our faces: 'If your own authorities are doing nothing and are not interested in your return, what do you expect from international institutions or courts?'" Ishkhanyan said.

He added that officials involved in the proceedings treated references to international courts and legal mechanisms with "mockery and contempt."

Ishkhanyan also said reports were circulating that Azerbaijan's Supreme Court might decline to hear the appeal.