Azerbaijan accuses the two Armenian soldiers, Harutyun Hovakimyan and Karen Ghazaryan, who were kidnapped from the sovereign territory of Armenia on May 26, for illegally crossing the border, using violence against Azerbaijani border guards, attempted terrorism, and smuggling weapons and ammunition. Their trial has started in Sumgait. The soldiers were abducted when the Azerbaijani side attacked a vehicle delivering food to combat positions.
Yeghishe Kirakosyan (Armenia’s representative on international legal matters) - We will present certain questions to the court in order to clarify the processes we observed during the trial. These are the next illegal trials that were carried out against our compatriots in 2020, verdicts were passed, obviously illegally staged trials. We will continue to defend our positions.
Immediately after the abduction incident, Armenia applied to the European Court to apply an interim measure against Azerbaijan. The ECHR informed that the interim measures applied in 2020, which refer to the protection of the rights of prisoners during and after the 44-day war, are still in effect against 2 Armenian servicemen. According to Yeghishe Kirakosyan, Armenia's representative for international legal matters, the 2nd interstate complaint submitted by Armenia against Azerbaijan refers to illegal trials of prisoners, violations of people's rights, illegal deprivation of liberty.
Yeghishe Kirakosyan - Articles 6.5 of the European Convention, the case of newly captured persons is in addition to the previously presented cases, and we must work on this. We submitted a claim within the scope of that complaint.
AZERBAIJAN RESPONDED TO ARMENIA’S APPLICATION SUBMITTED TO EUROPEAN COURT
Yeghishe Kirakosyan also informed that Azerbaijan responded to Armenia's application submitted to the European Court regarding the Lachin Corridor. In January, the Office of the Representative for International Legal Matters requested the European Court to send an immediate notification to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe regarding Azerbaijan's failure to comply with the ECHR decision of December 21, 2022. And with that decision, the European Court obliged Azerbaijan to take all the necessary measures to ensure the movement of seriously ill patients in need of medical care in Armenia through the Lachin Corridor, as well as the safe movement of homeless people on the way. The European Court gave Azerbaijan until June 30 to respond to Armenia's application. Armenia is currently studying the document.
Yeghishe Kirakosyan – By July 10, time has been set for Armenia to present a position. We demanded that it notify the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe about the non-implementation of the decision, that the issue be raised and become a subject of discussion again. We will include observations in our answer and afterwards court will make a decision.
On June 30, Armenia's representative on international legal matters sent another letter to the UN International Court of Justice, presenting information on the latest developments, the humanitarian situation in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) that has arisen as a result of the closure of the Lachin Corridor and is worsening day by day.
Yeghishe Kirakosyan - We asked the court to make a decision as soon as possible, because the situation is dire. We are waiting for a court decision, we hope soon, it's been a long time, I hope we will see a court decision soon, related to fuel, energy crisis, food crisis, medicines, patients, so we expect it to change the measures, make it concrete, clearly be the obligation of Azerbaijan.
In May, Armenia appealed to the UN International Court of Justice, demanding to change and complete the decision of February 22 to apply an interim measure against Azerbaijan in the case of blocking the Lachin Corridor. The demand in the new lawsuit was to include the fact of the checkpoint in the decision.
