Former speaker of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) National Assembly, Davit Ishkhanyan, has appealed to the Human Rights Defender of Armenia from a prison in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

Ishkhanyan stated as follows:

“I greet everyone.

We learned from the press that [well-known Armenian philanthropist, businessman, former Artsakh State Minister] Ruben Vardanyan [who is also imprisoned in Baku] has appealed to the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia to visit him. I do not know whether the esteemed [human rights] defender will have that responsibility and determination to visit, and also to see us, and in that case she will have more detailed information and get familiarized with how the entire investigation proceeded, with what serious and gross violations it was conducted, both the entire investigation and the trial, with gross violations of human rights, international law, international norms, including the procedure of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

I was unable to say my full speech at the end of the trial process, during my last speech. They did not let me have my final say by at least 30-40 percent. But I managed to say what I would like to say to my people now, and make a small quote:

‘This trial is not opened against 15 people, this trial is opened against the Armenian people and the Armenian statehood, with clear goals and a long-term strategy. I had doubts about this during the investigation; and during the trial process it became my conviction. Time will show the truth of my thoughts and words.’

As for the Human Rights Defender of Azerbaijan, yesterday the Human Rights Defender of Azerbaijan, Sabina Aliyeva, visited us, and we were able to convey some information to her. I had prepared a letter of petition to convey to her since March 12, but for about a month or two, for some reason, I have not been able to see her or convey it. Yesterday I conveyed my letter of petition, and there was one clear request in it: that she mediate and transmit the complete versions of our verdict, in Azerbaijani and Armenian, to my family and relatives.

The Human Rights Defender [of Azerbaijan] promised that she would transmit the Azerbaijani version to my family and try to mediate.

As for the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, I now want to verbally appeal to her to mediate and obtain from the relevant organizations of Azerbaijan, perhaps also through her [Azerbaijani] colleague, the full texts of our indictments in Armenian and Azerbaijani versions and the full text of our verdict and transmit to my family and relatives.

As for these difficult times, I would only wish our people strength of spirit, will and unity, and I must say: be strong!”