Baku: Arayik Harutyunyan, during a court hearing concerning the criminal case against Armenian citizens accused of severe crimes including war crimes and acts of genocide, revealed that he wished to send a letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Harutyunyan stated that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not permit him to do so.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Harutyunyan detailed that on the evening of October 18, he, along with Bako Sahakyan and Arkadi Ghukasyan, had a final meeting where he expressed his willingness to draft a letter aimed at halting the ongoing war. He mentioned that Sahakyan and Ghukasyan were prepared to co-sign the letter if it would aid in stopping the conflict. The letter’s content was to urge for a cessation of hostilities, reflecting the Armenian people’s desire for peace. Harutyunyan recounted that despite Pashinyan’s engagements with various political factions and opposition, the decision was made to continue the war by the end of October 19.

Harutyunyan further acknowledged that the ‘Karabakh defense army’s ‘commander reported directly to the Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of Armenia, highlighting his lack of authority over military appointments. He noted that the ‘Karabakh army’ had not operated independently for decades and disclosed that the commander is currently facing a criminal case in Armenia. Harutyunyan emphasized that if the military had been under his command, a similar legal action would have been initiated in Karabakh.