STEPANAKERT—U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland’s calls to release two Azerbaijani nationals convicted and jailed in Artsakh for invasion and murder are “unacceptable” to Stepanakert, David Babayan, Artsakh’s Presidential Spokesman, has said. The Artsakh Republic leadership has repeatedly said that Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilham Askerov committed terrorist acts in the territory of Artsakh and faced a fair and transparent trial with participation of mass media and public organizations.
“Their guilt was proved during the trial and they confessed and addressed a petition for commutation to Artsakh President Bako Sahakian,” Babayan said. “Stepanakert has already displayed good will and a ‘humane gesture’ by avoiding reprisal against the raiders and launching an open and transparent trial like any civilized country would do.”
In this light, Babayan said, Nuland’s calls were, at the very least, strange given that she acknowledges the raiders as criminals. “It is interesting how Washington would respond if any organization asked it to free the Boston terrorists. Such category of criminals cannot be freed in such a ‘humane’ way, much less the criminals of a country that gives birth to various Safarovs, who axe-murder Armenian officers in their sleep,” Babayan said.
He believes that the issue of the Azeri terrorists is not Washington’s problem. “Simply, the United States rose to Baku’s bait. Baku tries to shift the responsibility for its actions on to Armenia,” Babayan said.
Babayan also reiterated that the Karabakh conflict negotiations process must include Karabakh itself as a party to talks in order to produce results.
Well said! This Nuland must learn to not say idiotic things. Those criminals should remain in prison in Artsakh.
God bless Christian Armenian’s who ever supports Azerbaijan and Turkey over Christian Armenian’s is against GOD period !
Appropriate reply to this devil of a woman who has no business inserting her proboscis in the internal affairs of sovereign states. This woman is beyond the pale, after what she wrought in the Ukraine she qualifies as a war criminal.
Nuland’s call doesn’t make sense. If the criminals are sent back to Axerbaijan, they will be turned into heroes.
I believe that the publized expression which Nuland used some time ago in referring to the EU would be most appropriate to be applied back to her.
Well said, the hell with Nuland!
An expensive Hungarians style solid gold axe will be presented to these criminals, as welcome home gift, by Axebaihanis oil man, soon they get released from jail!
Perhaps the US Department of State should release all the Gunatanamo Bay prisoners (including those held suspect of 9/11) as gesture of good will towards the various Islamic groups.