{"id":1739,"date":"2026-05-14T08:54:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T08:54:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freearmenianhostages.net\/?p=1739"},"modified":"2026-05-14T08:54:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T08:54:04","slug":"this-is-not-a-trial-this-is-an-ethnopolitical-vendetta-david-babayan-releases-message-from-baku-prison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freearmenianhostages.net\/?p=1739","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThis Is Not a Trial, This Is an Ethnopolitical Vendetta\u201d: David Babayan Releases Message from Baku Prison"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Former Foreign Minister of Nagorno-Karabakh David Babayan, who is being held in Azerbaijani captivity, has appealed to human rights defenders and people of goodwill around the world. The audio message was provided to NEWS.am<\/a> by Babayan\u2019s family. The full translation is presented below.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear compatriots, Armenians throughout the world, people of goodwill everywhere, human rights defenders, advocates, journalists,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am forced to address you because I simply have no other alternative. As you know, we have already been here for three years. Judicial proceedings are ongoing and, of course, they are marked by grave violations. But another violation has now been added to the list: my appeal letters addressed to the Court of Appeal have disappeared, preventing this case from also being reviewed by the appellate court, while we intend to apply to an international court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My lawyer informed me about this on May 7, saying that it was the final day for submitting appeals. This was, of course, unexpected, because the deadline should have been February 25. On February 23, I sent two applications from the detention facility, as well as another letter through the head of the detention center, requesting that they be forwarded. All of this disappeared. They no longer exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was forced to write yet another letter, but I do not know what the response will be. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that attempts are being made to prevent me from submitting my appeals to the Court of Appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, during the transfer from the detention center to prison on April 21, my final statement delivered before the court of first instance on December 19, 2025, was also confiscated. This, too, is nothing other than an attempt to destroy all critical statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, I ask all of you to treat this as information for the international court to take into proceedings, and as information for the international community, because we genuinely intend to apply to an international court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consequently, I call upon Armenians worldwide and people of goodwill to help us in this matter. I am doing this in the name of justice, democracy, the protection of human rights, and genuine peace. I believe this is the only path forward in this direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would also ask that you demand and request that our final statements be made available to you in video form as well, if they have not already been destroyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now I would like to briefly present the judicial process itself \u2014 who knows what may happen to me tomorrow \u2014 so that you may generally understand what is taking place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This trial, of course, is fabricated. All norms are being grossly violated: norms of humanity, justice, fairness, international law, and even their own legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I call upon our patriotic Armenian people to unite and defend our rights, because we are going to apply to an international court. All of their arguments are fabricated, empty, and very weak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This proceeding is not a trial. It is an ethnopolitical vendetta, an ethnopolitical lynching directed against the past, present, and future of our people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The abuses and violations were so numerous that even some lawyers remarked that the time would come when they would feel ashamed of all these violations. I would say it will also be painful, because there are certain ideas, unwritten and written laws, principles of faith, whose violation \u2014 especially when done consciously, voluntarily, and arrogantly \u2014 is never forgiven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I even quoted a saying from their Quran stating that God does not love arrogant, self-satisfied people. This is very important. I believe it had its effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The violations are so numerous that at times they descend into tragicomedy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, the first thing that stands out is that the indictment states that during a search of my belongings, two metallic objects of white and yellow colors were discovered. These are, in fact, my gold necklace with a cross and my silver prayer beads, both handmade. Yet they describe them merely as metallic objects of white and yellow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then there were the explanations of the so-called witnesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One witness, who first \u2018recognized\u2019 me, told me: \u2018You are Vitaly Balasanyan, I remember you well, you beat and tortured me.\u2019 Then everyone explained to him that I was a different person, but he would not calm down. My lawyer told him: \u2018It is not him.\u2019 He insulted the lawyer, called him Armenian, then realized the situation had become complicated and began simulating some condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another person who \u2018recognized\u2019 me claimed that I had tortured him in the winter of 1994 and said: \u2018You have not changed at all \u2014 you are still two meters tall, with golden beard, mustache, and hair, exactly the same.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He then pointed at us and claimed: \u2018They beat us brutally in either 1992 or 1993. They hung us upside down for seven days and beat us with iron rods and sticks.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I said that even bats, after millions of years of evolution, cannot remain hanging continuously for seven days \u2014 so how did you remain hanging?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you understand? In a normal court, at least three responses should follow such testimony: either those people should apologize, or they should undergo medical examination in case they have some kind of condition, or their statements should be treated as slander and legal action initiated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

None of this happened. On the contrary, they attended all the hearings and many other sessions, and state television constantly showed them in close-up shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another interesting episode occurred during the investigation when they brought and showed a photograph of Nagorno-Karabakh parliament member David Galstyan and said, \u2018This is a well-known mafioso and arms dealer.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I replied that the man had nothing to do with it. It later emerged that they had confused him with another David Galstyan, the person known as \u2018Patron Davo.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the issue is that 73 individuals had already testified against that parliamentarian, claiming personally to have seen him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I pointed this out, they became confused, left the room, and about two hours later returned and said, \u2018We changed it \u2014 now you will say that you saved David Galstyan\u2019s life.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When accusing us of illegal economic activity, they argued that unrecognized states constitute illegal entities and that having economic relations with them is itself a crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what happened during the trial? The simultaneous translation equipment used in the courtroom was manufactured in Taiwan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, they are prosecuting \u2018separatists\u2019 while using equipment produced by what they themselves consider a separatist country, while claiming that relations with such entities are impermissible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This, even though their own leadership visited China twice in 2025 and publicly declared there that Taiwan is recognized as part of China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am recounting all this based on facts. This is the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe there is state-level, geopolitical hatred involved, and I also pointed this out in my statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ordinary people are not responsible. People are normal everywhere, and here too, we have met many genuinely decent people who treated us well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no such thing as a bad nation. Therefore, I am grateful to all decent people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is why we must tell the truth exactly as it is. We want justice, and for that reason, we are presenting all this to the international community as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking this opportunity, I also want to thank all our friends who stood by us throughout these years \u2014 in the homeland, throughout the diaspora, and among our friends across many countries, including countries that themselves have serious disagreements with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Europe and America have been especially active, and that is very good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay strong. For the moment, everything is still normal with us here, including in prison and otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you very much, because this struggle is not only for us \u2014 it is for justice, human rights, and democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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