Baku court reveals Armenian separatist’s justification of Dashnaktsutyun’s role in Karabakh conflict

During today's session at the Baku Military Court, a pivotal piece of evidence was introduced in the form of a 2016 interview with David Ishkhanyan, a key Armenian figure involved in separatist activities within Azerbaijani territories.

The video, originally broadcast by the television station of the former separatist entity, provides insight into Ishkhanyan's defense of the Dashnaktsutyun party and its involvement in the conflict, Caliber.Az reports per local media.

In the video, Ishkhanyan spoke candidly about the activities of Dashnaktsutyun in the Karabakh region during the early 1990s. He described how the party's efforts were not limited to military action but extended to organizing resources and personnel. Ishkhanyan recalled, "Dashnaktsutyun arrived in Karabakh in 1990-1991. The main activity, of course, was carried out in the front area... The Dashnaktsutyun party acted in Karabakh not only with weapons but also in terms of material and human resources."

He also highlighted the party's role in the formation of armed detachments and its critical support for the separatist cause. "Dashnaktsutyun played the role of a shield for us... It is not by chance that from 1990 to 1994, Dashnaktsutyun was instrumental in army construction and other spheres," Ishkhanyan said, revealing his personal involvement in the party's military activities at the time.

When questioned by the interviewer about the eventual goal of the separatist movement, Ishkhanyan expressed a firm belief in the annexation of Karabakh to Armenia. "In my opinion, the most correct way is the eventual annexation of Karabakh to Armenia. This should be our main and ultimate goal," he stated. "For me, Karabakh and historical Armenia are one and the same; I perceive them as one and the same."

However, during his court appearance today, Ishkhanyan denied having made statements supporting military assistance from Dashnaktsutyun to the separatists. When questioned by the state prosecutor, he distanced himself from the content of the interview, denying any acknowledgment of the party's role in providing military support to the separatist entity.

The trial of Ishkhanyan and other Armenian nationals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity continues in Baku. The charges against them include preparing and waging aggressive war, genocide, violations of the laws and customs of war, terrorism, financing terrorism, and the forcible seizure and retention of power, among others. As the legal proceedings unfold, the testimonies and evidence presented in the case are shedding new light on the scale and scope of the separatist activities in the region.

By Vafa Guliyeva