Arkadi Ghukasyan rejects "Great Armenia" ideology as "fairy tale" UPDATED

Former separatist leader Arkadi Ghukasyan dismissed the long-standing nationalist ideology of "Great Armenia" as a "fairy tale" during his trial at the Baku Military Court.

Ghukasyan made the remarks while responding to questions from state prosecutors. When asked whether he supported the ideology of "Great Armenia”, Caliber.Az reports via Azertag. 

"Regarding 'Great Armenia'... I have not believed in fairy tales for a long time. The 'Great Armenia' idea is a fairy tale. I live in the real world, and I have never taken it seriously," he said.

Ghukasyan, a defendant in the case, also made significant statements regarding former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan.

During the proceedings, Ghukasyan commented on the events surrounding the 1988 Karabakh rallies, which were a pivotal moment in the history of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Ghukasyan identified Arkady Manvelovich Manucharov as the primary speaker at the rallies, noting that Manucharov played a central role in the demonstrations.

Ghukasyan further stated, “I don’t remember Robert Kocharyan’s speeches. Since we were educated in Russian, he, like me, had problems with literary Armenian.” He went on to suggest that Kocharian may have been one of the organisers of the rallies, adding, “Perhaps he was one of the organisers of the rallies, as he was a member of the Krunk organisation.”

During his testimony, Ghukasyan also stated that in 1992, fewer than 30,000 ethnic Armenians were living in the Karabakh region. He added that later, some of these individuals remained in Karabakh, while others moved to Armenia or Russia.

Ghukasyan is among several Armenian citizens on trial for war crimes and other serious offenses committed during Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan. The charges include crimes against peace and humanity, acts of aggression, war crimes, genocide, violations of international humanitarian law, terrorism, and the financing of terrorist activities. The defendants are also accused of preparing and waging an aggressive war, as well as attempting to seize and maintain power through violent means.

Arkadi Ghukasyan is a former separatist leader who served as the so-called "president" of the illegal entity in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region from 1997 to 2007. He played a key role in the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories and was instrumental in the region’s separatist policies. During his tenure, he was involved in the consolidation of illegal governance structures and supported Armenia’s military presence in Karabakh.

Now standing trial in Baku, Ghukasyan is accused of crimes against peace and humanity, including war crimes, terrorism, and genocide. In court, he admitted that Armenia acted as the guarantor of Karabakh and acknowledged the Armenian army’s direct involvement in the conflict. His trial is part of Azerbaijan’s broader efforts to bring to justice those responsible for decades of aggression, occupation, and atrocities committed against its people.

In total, 15 Armenian nationals are being prosecuted for crimes committed during Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani territories, including acts of genocide, forced displacement, and violations of international humanitarian law. Their trial is a significant step in Azerbaijan’s efforts to hold accountable those responsible for decades of war crimes and aggression.

By Vugar Khalilov