The past can’t be erased: Shifting blame won’t save them Karabakh junta’s lies fall apart in court

Yesterday, on April 21, during a court session on criminal cases involving Armenian citizens accused of crimes against peace and humanity resulting from Armenian military aggression, war crimes, including the preparation and conduct of an aggressive war, genocide, violations of the laws and customs of war, terrorism, financing terrorism, the violent seizure and retention of power, and other numerous crimes, notable statements were made by the former leader of the so-called "Nagorno Karabakh Republic," Arkadi Ghukasyan. 

In response to the court's questions, he attempted to shift responsibility for the Khojaly genocide, stating that at that time, the leadership of the self-proclaimed regime was carried out by Artur Mkrtchyan, military operations were under the command of Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan, better known by the nickname "Commando," and the formation of the so-called "self-defense forces" was led by future Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan.

He also stated that he learned about what happened in Khojaly from "official information" in February 1992: "We did not know the scale of the tragedy at that time. We knew that hundreds of Azerbaijanis had come to Khankendi from Khojaly. And they were later handed over to the other side."

He emphasised that he condemns the killing of civilians: "This is unacceptable, one of the bloodiest pages of the war."

What we are witnessing is another attempt to mislead the court. Arkadi Ghukasyan, as the head of the unrecognised "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic," in interviews and public statements, adhered to a line characteristic of the Armenian side of the conflict. He claimed that the Khojaly genocide was a consequence of military actions, simultaneously accusing the Azerbaijani side of what had occurred. One of his most well-known statements was in an interview where he said that Armenian forces allegedly did not aim for the mass destruction of civilians. Therefore, his current claim of not knowing the true scale of the tragedy in Khojaly is a pitiful, simplistic, and easily provable lie. Moreover, it is not the only one.

Ghukasyan, as we can see, is trying to change his stance, attempting to present himself as almost a pacifist. But the archives don’t lie. At a time when 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory was under Armenian occupation, he claimed that "the victory in the war was the result of the self-defence of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh."

He swore and insisted that the mythical "Artsakh" was allegedly "defending itself from aggression by Azerbaijan." In other words, he lied, just like any Armenian politician — without pause.

But that’s not all. While free and under the belief that the occupation of Azerbaijani lands would be eternal, Ghukasyan stated that the results of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War "gave the Karabakh Armenians the opportunity to declare their right to self-determination." Yes, these were the thoughts of a classic Armenian occupier trying to justify his crimes.

Previously, Ghukasyan claimed that the mythical "Artsakh" could never come under Azerbaijan's control and that "the war demonstrated — the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are capable of defending their independence." In May 2006, he noted that the mythical "Artsakh" had every reason to expect recognition by the international community. This was the kind of "pacifist" Ghukasyan was.

He’s not the only one trying to justify himself in the most disgraceful and pitiful way. Another former head of the Karabakh junta, Arayik Harutyunyan, declared yesterday that he considers the events in Khojaly to be the greatest tragedy of the First Karabakh War. He stressed that, regardless of the circumstances, it was an unforgivable tragedy.

That’s the stance he’s taking now. But not so long ago, we heard a very different tone from Arayik. He used the term “genocide” — not to describe the crimes committed by the Armenian side against the civilian population in Khojaly, but quite the opposite. Previously, he admitted that in October 2020, he gave the order to launch missile strikes on Ganja, calling those actions a “warning” to Azerbaijan.

And what did Harutyunyan later claim while standing trial in Baku? He said that he did not issue any orders for missile strikes on the city of Ganja during the 44-day war in 2020.

Harutyunyan emphasised that he neither had the authority nor the capability to make such decisions and expressed regret over his previous statements on the matter. That’s how it really happened. As the saying goes, every move has been recorded.

And there will be many more self-incriminations and admissions of guilt from both former and current Armenian leadership for the crimes committed against Azerbaijan, as the trial of the former leaders of the Karabakh junta continues in Baku.

All of yesterday’s so-called “heroes of Artsakh” now appear in the most pitiful light — just like their accomplices in Armenia, who anxiously await each court session in Baku and, deep down, curse Arkadi Ghukasyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan, and the other leaders of the Karabakh junta, who are all too willing to sell out their former “patrons.”