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Akbar Novruz

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Today, at the Baku Military Court, the prosecution presented a video recording from 1993 featuring Armenia’s first President, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, meeting with representatives of the former so-called separatist entity illegally established in Azerbaijan’s territoriesç Azernews reports.

The footage shows Ter-Petrosyan acknowledging that Armenia had provided the highest-level security guarantees to the separatist entity. He referred to the planned agreement on these guarantees as a secret document to be signed between Armenia and the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.”

The former Armenian president noted that the agreement would be drafted in two copies and declared: “The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic relies on the guarantees of the international community, the Russian Federation, the United States, and especially the President of the Republic of Armenia Levon Ter-Petrosyan.” He also emphasized Armenia’s commitment to use all its capabilities, “including direct military intervention,” and explicitly ruled out any future concession of the Lachin region to Azerbaijan in negotiations.

Testifying in court, the accused Arkady Ghukasyan confirmed his participation in the meeting, calling it “a fateful issue.” He recalled that the footage was recorded after the occupation of the Kalbajar region and stated that he was, at the time, head of the so-called entity’s negotiation group with Azerbaijan and a deputy.

Ghukasyan further noted that following the meeting, Georgi Petrosyan resigned and was replaced by Karen Baburyan as speaker of the separatist parliament. According to him, “He, together with Robert Kocharyan, signed the document presented by Levon Ter-Petrosyan. According to that document, the Republic of Armenia was to ensure the security of Karabakh until the conflict was completely resolved.”

It should be noted that the ongoing trial includes multiple individuals of Armenian origin charged with grave crimes under Azerbaijani law, including crimes against peace and humanity, genocide, war crimes, terrorism, the financing of terrorism, and the forcible seizure and retention of power—crimes allegedly committed during and after Armenia’s military occupation of Azerbaijani territories.