Ardashes Ardy Kassakhian
BY ARDASHES “ARDY” KASSAKHIAN
Recent developments in Azerbaijan’s ridiculous prosecution of former democratically elected leaders of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Republic raise critical questions about justice, sovereignty, and the right to self-determination. The Azerbaijani government’s narrative, steeped in allegations of war crimes and claims of “rightful reintegration,” must be critically examined against the historical, legal, and ethical context of the Armenian population’s struggle in this region that had had an Indigenous Armenian population long before the Republic of Azerbaijan ever came into existence.
The Armenian presence in Artsakh is not a modern development. For centuries, the region has been a cradle of Armenian culture, religion, and identity. Despite Soviet-era manipulations that transferred control of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan in 1921, the Armenian majority in Artsakh has consistently sought self-determination, culminating in a referendum in 1991, where an overwhelming majority voted for independence in accordance with international legal principles and the USSR’s own laws on secession.
The violent pogroms of Armenians in Sumgait, Baku, and other parts of Azerbaijan during the late 1980s underscore the existential threat faced by Armenians under Azerbaijani rule. These events, coupled with Azerbaijan’s systematic erasure of Armenian cultural heritage, including the well-documented destruction of Armenian cemeteries in Nakhichevan, demonstrate a clear pattern of ethnic cleansing that justifies Artsakh’s secessionist aspirations.
The charges brought by Azerbaijan against Artsakh’s leaders must be viewed in light of the September 2023 military offensive, which forced the entire Armenian population of over 100,000 people to flee their ancestral homeland. This mass exodus is not a voluntary migration but a textbook case of ethnic cleansing, facilitated by the blockade of the Lachin Corridor—a lifeline connecting Artsakh to Armenia—and relentless military aggression.
To accuse Artsakh’s leaders of war crimes while ignoring Azerbaijan’s own actions, including the indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas, is a blatant act of hypocrisy. International human rights organizations have documented Azerbaijani violations, including the targeting of cultural and religious sites, which constitute war crimes under international law. Furthermore Azerbaijan used banned weapons such as cluster bombs in civilian areas as documented and reported by Human Rights Watch.
The United Nations Charter and various human rights instruments enshrined the right to self-determination. For decades, the Armenian population of Artsakh has exercised this right by establishing democratic institutions and expressing their will to govern themselves independently of Azerbaijan. This is not an act of aggression but a legitimate assertion of sovereignty in the face of clear and present existential threats.
Azerbaijan’s narrative conveniently omits its decades-long refusal to engage in good-faith negotiations over Artsakh’s status and its reliance on military force to resolve political disputes. True reconciliation requires addressing the root causes of the conflict, not prosecuting leaders who acted in defense of their people.
The upcoming trials of Artsakh’s leaders in Baku lack credibility and fairness. In a country ranked near the bottom of global indices for judicial independence and freedom of expression, these proceedings are little more than show trials designed to legitimize Azerbaijan’s narrative while silencing dissenting voices. The international community must question the legitimacy of these trials and demand adherence to due process and impartiality.
The international community’s tepid response to Azerbaijan’s actions has emboldened authoritarian tendencies in Baku. The forced displacement of an entire ethnic group and the prosecution of its leaders demand a robust response from global powers and human rights organizations. Silence and inaction risk normalizing ethnic cleansing and undermining the very principles of international law.
Calls for releasing detained leaders and pursuing legal remedies in international courts are necessary steps to ensure accountability and justice. However, these efforts must be supported by a broader international movement that recognizes the right of Artsakh’s Armenians to live in peace and security. Most importantly, they must be a central part of the Armenian government’s demands from Azerbaijan and any peace negotiations. As of yet, there is no clear indication that this is a priority for the current government.
Justice for Artsakh’s Armenian population requires more than empty rhetoric about peace. It demands a commitment to protecting the rights of minorities, holding perpetrators of ethnic cleansing accountable, and ensuring that self-determination is not a privilege reserved for the powerful but a right guaranteed to all people.
Azerbaijan’s attempts to rewrite history and criminalize the struggle for Armenian self-determination must be resisted. The Armenian cause is not an act of defiance but a moral and legal imperative grounded in the principles of human rights and dignity. The international community must stand on the side of justice, lest it become complicit in the erasure of an ancient people from their homeland.
As to the question, some may be asking as to why a local council member from a city in California should weigh in on an issue that some think should be left to the international policy “experts” to handle, I provide this explanation. When I was Mayor of Glendale, I and my colleagues on city council signed a historic document establishing a sister city relationship with Martuni in Artsakh—a city whose mayor later made the ultimate sacrifice defending his town from invading Azerbaijani forces. The person who signed that document with us, Davit Babayan is now one of the hostages held captive in Baku. These sham trials are not about justice; they’re about silencing a people who have fought for their right to self-determination for generations.
This issue of advocating on behalf of the displaced is the responsibility of every person who respects democratic institutions and the rights of self-determination, but it is vital for Armenians living in the Diaspora. We know better than most the pain of displacement and denial. As Americans, we have a duty to advocate on behalf of the people of Artsakh as they face the challenges posed by their mass displacement and face discrimination, even among those who see their plight as a nuisance rather than a harbinger of what is to come for the rest of the Armenian nation should we remain indifferent to this cause.
Ardashes “Ardy” Kassakhian is a Glendale City Councilmemeber.
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