The Azerbaijani judicial process against Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) citizen Arsen Baghdasaryan has commenced in Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan.  

Accordingly, a preliminary hearing was held on Tuesday, reported APA news agency of Azerbaijan.

During the hearing, public prosecutor Anar Mirkishiyev said no violation of the law was seen during the investigation process.

Later, the defendant was allowed to speak. After introducing himself, Bagdasaryan said he had no objections.

The next hearing was scheduled for April 13, and it will be held behind closed doors.

Attoney Ramiz Abdullayev defends the rights of Bagdasaryan.

Within the framework of this hastily concocted case, NKR citizen Arsen Baghdasaryan was “charged” under the Azerbaijani Criminal Code’s articles 218.2 (participation in criminal community), 29,120.2.1 (attempt to a deliberate murder by group of persons, on preliminary arrangement by group of persons, by organized group or criminal community), 29,120.2.7 (attempt to a deliberate murder of two or more persons), 29,120.2.12 (attempt to a deliberate murder on motive of national, racial, religious hatred or enmity), 29,282.2 (attempt to commitment of explosion, arson or other actions directed on destruction or damage of enterprises, constructions, means of communication, means of message and communication, objects of life-support of a population with a view of undermining defensibility and economic safety of the Azerbaijan Republic), and he was sentenced to pretrial detention.

To note, the case of Arsen Baghdasaryan is a vivid illustration of Azerbaijan’s violation of international human rights. The Azerbaijani authorities had not permitted the International Committee of the Red Cross representatives to see him for 1.5 months since his capture. Baghdasaryan was taken into Azerbaijan captivity on December 26 of the year past.

The Azerbaijan authorities’ actions against Arsen Baghdasaryan are a distinctive response to the NKR authorities’ arrest and subsequent imprisonment of Azerbaijani saboteurs Dilham Askerov and Shahbaz Guliyev.