Panel discussion on "Trial in Baku: what will the desire for revenge  lead to?" to take place in Moscow 

ArmInfo. The Institute of CIS Countries, together with the Institute's branch in Yerevan and the International "Lazarev Club" will hold a round table on the topic  "Trial in Baku: what will the desire for revenge lead to?" 

According to the announcement of the event, the event will be held on  February 26 in Moscow and will be dedicated to the trial of 16 former  military-political leaders of the Republic of Artsakh, including  former presidents Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan, who were  arrested in September 2023 by the Azerbaijani authorities during the  occupation of the territory of Artsakh, which began on January 17,  2025 in Baku.

The following will take part in the Round Table: First Deputy  Chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian  Integration and Relations with Compatriots, Director of the Institute  of CIS Countries and Coordinator of the Lazarev Club Council  Konstantin Zatulin; Professor of MGIMO University of the Ministry of  Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Andranik Migranyan;  Chairman of the Democratic Party of Armenia, member of the Lazarev  Club Council Aram Sargsyan; Vice President of the Union of Armenians  of Russia, member of the Lazarev Club Council Lusik Ghukasyan;  Chairman of the Russian Society for Friendship and Cooperation with  Armenia Viktor Krivopuskov; former Ombudsman of the Republic of  Armenia Larisa Alaverdyan; expert of the Strategic Culture Foundation  Andrei Areshev; journalist, columnist for Soloviev Life Armen  Gasparyan; Head of the Analytical Center for Strategic Studies and  Initiatives (ACSSII), editor-in-chief of the Moscow editorial office  of Alpha News, political columnist for the VERELQ Information and  Analytical Center Hayk Khalatyan; Political analyst, coordinator of  the Eurasian Expert Club Aram Safaryan; lawyer Ruben Kirakosyan;  political scientist, employee of the Nagorno-Karabakh representative  office in Russia Arsen Melik-Shahnazarov; military journalist,  co-chairman of the Coordination Council of Russian-Armenian  Organizations, editor-in-chief of the information and analytical  website "Russia-Armenia.Info" Aram Khachatryan and others. Let us  recall that on January 17, under the chairmanship of Judge Zeynal  Agayev, the Baku Military Court began considering the "indictment"  against the former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh. Among the accused are  three former presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh: Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako  Sahakyan and Arayik Harutyunyan. Also appearing before the court will  be former Foreign Minister David Babayan, Parliament Speaker David  Ishkhanyan, former Commander of the Defense Army General Levon  Mnatsakanyan, General David Manukyan and former State Minister Ruben  Vardanyan.

On January 16, Vardanyan made a statement in which he demanded that  he and his lawyer be given the opportunity to fully prepare for their  defense; that all violations and falsifications be eliminated; that  his trial and that of all the other defendants be made public. "I  insist on a maximally open trial with the participation of  international journalists and representatives of humanitarian  organizations. I am convinced that only a real court, not a tribunal,  will help take a step forward on the difficult path of building new  relations between our peoples," he emphasized. 

In conclusion, he demanded that his case be combined with the cases  of the other defendants. "More than 400 volumes of my case out of 422  are episodes of a common case. Separating my case into a separate  proceeding is an artificial and unfounded decision," Vardanyan added.  After a number of Vardanyan's motions were rejected during the trial,  he went on a hunger strike.