Activists expressed hope for US intervention in the fate of convicted Karabakh leaders.

Representatives of the Nagorno-Karabakh authorities operating in Armenia, public organizations, and the clergy appealed to US Vice President J.D. Vance. They expressed confidence that Washington can play a key role in resolving humanitarian issues, in particular the release of prisoners.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on February 5, former Nagorno-Karabakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, former Defense Army Commander Levon Mnatsakanyan and his deputy David Manukyan, and former parliament speaker Davit Ishkhanyan were sentenced to life imprisonment by a military court in Baku. Another 10 people were sentenced to terms ranging from 15 to 20 years in prison. Opposition representatives believe that life and long prison terms for representatives of the Karabakh military-political leadership were made possible by the inaction of the Armenian authorities. The harsh sentence for the military-political leadership of Karabakh is due not only to accusations of war crimes, but also to Baku's intentions to use it in negotiations with Armenia, some social media users noted. Some believe that Azerbaijan, on the contrary, could release the convicted to demonstrate its desire for peace.

Ahead of US Vice President J.D. Vance's visit to Yerevan and Baku, activists and clergy of Nagorno-Karabakh appealed for assistance in securing the release of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan. The Nagorno-Karabakh public has called the Baku court's verdicts against Armenian hostages fictitious and irrelevant to justice.

US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg will visit Yerevan from February 9 to 11 together with US Vice President J.D. Vance, Novosti-Armenia reports.

The head of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, sent a letter to US Vice President J.D. Vance, calling on Washington "to play an active humanitarian and diplomatic role in resolving pressing issues related to Artsakh."

The letter emphasizes that "following the events of September 2023, Armenians continue to be illegally held in Baku prisons "prisoners of war and hostages remain, and the fate of many missing remains unknown," and called on the United States "to use its influence to ensure unimpeded access for the International Committee of the Red Cross and independent monitors to all detainees."

The bishop expressed hope that "the moral authority and upcoming visit of the US Vice President to Armenia will help advance urgent humanitarian solutions aimed at the release of prisoners, the search for missing persons, and the protection of the religious and cultural heritage of Artsakh."

Arbramyan also called for "attention to the threat of destruction of Armenian churches, Christian monuments, and historical cemeteries in the territories of Artsakh under the control of Azerbaijan," emphasizing that these sites "are part of the world's Christian and cultural heritage."

The National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh issued a statement in which it "strongly condemned the 'trials' organized by the Azerbaijani authorities against Armenian prisoners of war, military-political figures, and civilians."

The trial of Karabakh leaders in Baku has become historic precedent

"The charges brought and the 'sentences' handed down on their basis are fictitious and have no relation to justice. What is happening is a manifestation of political reprisals and state pressure aimed at discrediting the more than thirty-year struggle of the Armenian people for the right to self-determination," the statement emphasizes.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament assesses the "Baku processes" as "a continuation of the military aggression against Artsakh unleashed in 2020, as well as the events of 2023, which, in the context of international law, qualify as crimes against humanity," and recalls that "the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has been on the agenda of the UN and the OSCE for decades, and its settlement was supposed to be exclusively through negotiations and on the basis of the right to self-determination."

Further, the Nagorno-Karabakh Parliament notes that "despite the inaction of the Armenian authorities, which may have long-term political and legal consequences, the Parliament of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) intends to continue the struggle to protect the rights of its compatriots and the right of the people of Artsakh to return."

The public organization "Union of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)" distributed an open letter in which more than two dozen human rights and human rights-related public organizations from Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh called on the US Vice President "to facilitate the release of Christian Armenian prisoners in Baku."

The release of prisoners is a necessary condition for building trust and achieving sustainable peace in the region.

"Despite the efforts "steps towards a peaceful settlement, 19 Armenians remain in Azerbaijani prisons. And the ongoing trials are being conducted in violation of fair trial principles and do not correspond to the peace agenda," the letter notes.

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The authors of the appeal emphasized the special role of the US administration and President Donald Trump in advancing the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and expressed confidence that Washington is capable of play a key role in resolving humanitarian issues.

"The release of prisoners is a necessary condition for building trust and achieving sustainable peace in the region," the human rights activists stated.

The letter was signed by the Center for International and Comparative Law, Defense of Rights Without Borders, Disability Rights Agenda, the Dignity Humanitarian Center, the Helsinki Association, the Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, Dialogue for Peace, the Public Journalism Club, the Armenian Progressive Youth, Journalists for Human Rights, the Artsakh Union, which includes representatives of about twenty organizations in Nagorno-Karabakh, and other organizations.

Vahram Balayan, a member of the Central Committee of the ARF Dashnaktsutyun of Nagorno-Karabakh, stated that "this is a continuation of the policy pursued by Azerbaijan towards the entire Artsakh from 1988 to the present day."

He added that "it is necessary to continue the struggle for the rights of our compatriots both in international structures and in various countries," and emphasized that the right of Artsakh Armenians to collective return remains. "The people of Artsakh have never been in Artsakh without status. During the Soviet period, we had autonomous status and, within the framework of the legal norms arising from it, acquired our sovereignty. Azerbaijan knows all this well, but is trying with all its might to create obstacles, and is trying to present our right to have a separate state to the world as a crime, violating the norm of international law on free self-determination," Balayan noted.

The primary responsibility lies with the authorities of the Republic of Armenia, and the main opportunity is the upcoming visit of US Vice President Vance.

Regarding the visit of US Vice President J.D. Vance to Armenia, Balayan noted that "Geopolitical centers need to understand that Azerbaijan is essentially ruled by an authoritarian regime with all the ensuing consequences, gross violations of human rights, therefore, it is necessary to actively work to fight for our rights."

Artak Beglaryan, Chairman of the Artsakh Union organization, stated that "Azerbaijani 'sentences' handed down against the military-political leaders of Artsakh taken hostage are a disgusting disgrace, but overall, they are not unexpected." "After the fictitious and closed 'trials,' today only one question remains - how to return all our prisoners. And here the main responsibility lies with the authorities of the Republic of Armenia, and the main opportunity is the upcoming visit of US Vice President Vance," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.