Former Artsakh Republic Human Rights Defenders Artsak Beglaryan and Gegham Stepanyan addressed several hundred protesters who gathered outside the U.N. Office and the foreign ministry headquarters in Yerevan today to condemn the beginning of the trial of former Artsakh leaders at Baku’s Military Court.

 “Our conscience brings us here, our individual and national dignity, because our Armenian hostages are there for us. They are facing a trumped-up trial there, are being tortured and subjected to inhuman treatment, because they represent us, firstly, as the current and former leaders of the Republic of Artsakh, and secondly, as Armenians: everyone, not just the military-political leadership,” said Artak Beglaryan in front of the UN Office.

Protest organizers handed their demands, calling on all U.N. member states to exert maximum pressure on the Aliyev regime to immediately release all Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan, to U.N. Office staffers. Organizers say they targeted the U.N Office because it represents the international community.

Holding aloft banners reading “Armenian leaders are in Baku prison”, “Freedom to the military-political leadership”, the protesters, flanked by police officers, then made their way to the foreign minstry building nearby.

Beglaryan called on the Armenian government to take all necessary steps to facilitate the release of the Armenian detainess who face a variety of charges including war crimes and terrorism.

Former Artsakh Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan addressed the crowd, stressing that Armenia has a fundamental obligation to protect the rights of Armenians illegally held in Baku.