Sahakyan says inequality in talks limits chances for prisoner release

(Horizon Weekly) – Armenian human rights lawyer Siranush Sahakyan says the trials of Artsakh’s former leaders in Baku are entirely staged and reflect the unequal footing on which current Armenia-Azerbaijan discussions are taking place. Speaking to Panorama, she explained that prosecutors are seeking the harshest possible sentences, including life terms for almost all defendants and twenty-year sentences for the two former presidents, who are legally exempt from life imprisonment due to age.

Sahakyan said the intent is clear. The trials are meant to brand the Artsakh independence declaration as a punishable act and to send a message that the question of self determination is closed. She added that convictions were unavoidable because Azerbaijani courts, especially military courts handling Armenian detainees, do not operate independently and often serve political aims.

She urged Armenian civil society to continue documenting violations and to pursue every available international mechanism to challenge the credibility of these proceedings.

On the possibility of releasing Armenian prisoners, Sahakyan said any real movement will depend on whether the United States driven peace framework is put into practice. Washington, she noted, has both the tools and the moral duty to press Baku on humanitarian issues. If implementation begins, she believes Azerbaijan may choose to free some detainees in parallel.

Sahakyan’s remarks reflect deep concern about the political nature of the trials, the limited leverage Armenia currently holds, and the growing need for sustained international pressure to secure humanitarian outcomes.