Nearly three years after being illegally taken hostage by Azerbaijan during the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, former Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Artsakh Davit Ishkhanyan has released a new statement from Baku.
In the message, Ishkhanyan speaks about the ongoing appeal proceedings, once again describing the trial as politically motivated and directed not only against the Armenian hostages, but against the Armenian people and Armenian statehood. He says the appeal is a necessary step before pursuing justice through international legal mechanisms and details what he describes as serious procedural violations throughout the case.
Among the most striking parts of the statement, Ishkhanyan says those on trial have been told: “If your own authorities are doing nothing and are not interested in securing your return, then what do you expect international courts to do? What can they possibly achieve?”
He also says defense lawyers still have not been provided with copies of the indictment or the verdict and are only permitted to review the ruling electronically. Ishkhanyan further says he and several of the other Armenian hostages have been unable to grant powers of attorney to relatives or human rights defenders for nearly a year.
The statement follows a series of messages Ishkhanyan has shared from captivity since being taken hostage in October 2023. In previous appeals, he has repeatedly called for greater international attention to the Armenian hostages, while his family has publicly criticized the Armenian government, accusing it of failing to take meaningful steps to secure their release.
Full statement:
“The peace trial is continuing. As you know, the case is now before the Court of Appeal.
We fully understand that this stage is largely procedural and that it is highly unlikely the first instance verdict will be changed. However, we also understand that the path to international courts goes through this stage, which is why we filed an appeal. We have said this openly in court. There is nothing secret about it.
Some of the defense lawyers have even expressed concern during the hearings that taking a case built on such a trial and such evidence before an international court would be both difficult and embarrassing for them. They have openly stated in court that they do not want to reach an international court under these circumstances only to lose. What happens afterward is another matter.
The court constantly speaks about openness, fairness, and justice, yet just as in the first instance proceedings, nothing has fundamentally changed.
Last week, it was my turn to address the court. I explained why I had appealed. My statement was almost identical to the one I delivered during my closing remarks in the first instance court.
I once again stressed that this is a politically motivated trial with no connection to actual criminal offenses. It is a trial driven by ethnic identity and national hatred, and the entire process has unfolded in that atmosphere.
I also pointed out that the first instance court grossly violated the requirements of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Procedure Code, as well as fundamental principles of human rights and international law.
As expected, my remarks were repeatedly interrupted by baseless interventions from both the prosecutors and the judge. Nevertheless, I was able to finish my statement and explain, point by point, how the verdict is based on unfounded claims, defamatory accusations, and allegations unsupported by evidence or concrete facts.
I demonstrated how provisions of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code had been applied arbitrarily and wrongly attributed not only to me, but to all of us. I even said this is not a “fabricated case,” but simply a patchwork.
For example, someone born in 1993 is accused of participating in military operations between 1991 and 1994. The court claims this was proven during the trial, includes it in the verdict, and ultimately sentences that person to 15 years in prison.
As I said in the first instance court, I made it clear once again that this is a trial against the Armenian people and Armenian statehood, pursued with a clear strategy and long-term objectives.
For us, the most important thing is to remain level-headed. We are continuing our efforts patiently, consistently, and with purpose. Our statements before the court have been dignified.
As for the international courts and institutions, the attitude toward them here is one of open contempt. The most painful part, however, is that they tell us directly: “If your own authorities are doing nothing and are not interested in securing your return, then what do you expect international courts to do? What can they possibly achieve?”
That is the reality.
There are already reports circulating that the Supreme Court will likely refuse to hear our cases. They are trying to create a prejudicial atmosphere and influence the process through various artificial obstacles. For example, the issue of our powers of attorney has remained unresolved for an entire year. Since August 2025, neither I nor several of the others have been able to authorize our relatives or human rights defenders to represent us.
Imagine this: to this day, our lawyers still have not been provided with the indictment, the bill of indictment, or even a copy of the verdict. Only after our repeated requests did the judge rule that the defense may review the verdict electronically. In other words, they are not even allowed to keep a copy of it.
I repeat: we are presenting our case with dignity, waiting for this stage of the proceedings to conclude, and we will continue to move forward with patience and determination.
Everything else is fine”.
