The Truth About War Prisoners: What Lawyer Roman Yeritsyan Really Said
In light of the recent allegations and evident slander disseminated against the military and political leadership of Artsakh, the video address by lawyer Roman Yeritsyan has acquired particular significance. His address was an attempt to restore an accurate picture of events and to counter the truth to the organized information campaign.
Misinformation Campaign and Substitution of Causes
According to Yeritsyan, Azerbaijani mass media have deliberately circulated absurd claims, alleging that the President of Artsakh supposedly handed over information about the whereabouts of leaders to Azerbaijani special services and even has relatives among representatives of the Azerbaijani authorities. Moreover, these allegations were picked up by certain figures in Armenia, sometimes without any reference to the original sources.
The lawyer is convinced that the purpose of this campaign was to discredit those who reject the narrative that the Artsakh issue is “closed” and to push the idea of removing the issue of Artsakh’s return from the public agenda.
Political Context of the Current Developments
Yeritsyan links these developments to the political stance of the President of Artsakh, who publicly opposed attempts to equate the issue of the return of the people of Artsakh with the issue of the return of Azerbaijanis, thereby effectively “closing” the matter. According to the lawyer, this position was followed by searches, interrogations, and the initiation of criminal cases.
Such a sequence of events, Yeritsyan emphasizes, cannot be accidental.
How the Detentions Were Actually Carried Out
A key part of the video address is devoted to the mechanism by which prisoners were taken. Yeritsyan is convinced that there was a predefined list of five individuals whom Azerbaijan demanded be arrested and transferred to Baku: Bako Sahakyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Ruben Vardanyan, and Davit Babayan.
Separate decisions, he notes, were made regarding Vardanyan and Babayan. Ruben Vardanyan consciously attempted to cross the Hakari Bridge openly, fully aware of the possible consequences, and was subsequently detained. Davit Babayan, despite circulating rumors, did not “surrender in Shushi”; rather, he was arrested in Stepanakert, aware that his fate was directly tied to ensuring the safe evacuation of thousands of people from Artsakh.
Conscious Sacrifice to Save Lives
Yeritsyan emphasizes that former Presidents of Artsakh Bako Sahakyan and Arkadi Ghukasyan, as well as Davit Ishkhanyan, made a conscious decision to present themselves to the Azerbaijani special services in order to prevent further arrests and to ensure the evacuation of approximately 12,000 people from Artsakh to Armenia.
It was precisely because of this step, he notes, that several detainees were released and the evacuation of the final groups of people was completed. According to the lawyer, this was not an act of treason, but a heavy and deliberate sacrifice.
Samvel Shahramanyan's Role
The lawyer categorically rejects claims that Samvel Shahramanyan transferred any information about the whereabouts of individuals. On the contrary, he argues, the actions and negotiations undertaken by the President of Artsakh helped save dozens of lives and prevented even graver consequences.
Conclusion
The central conclusion of Roman Yeritsyan’s video address is straightforward: if thousands of people from Artsakh were saved and were able to reach Armenia, it was not the result of desertion or betrayal, but of the actions of specific individuals who deliberately chose not to leave Artsakh, sacrificed their personal freedom, and were arrested.
Ignoring these facts or replacing them with false accusations, Yeritsyan warns, means participating in a dangerous effort to erase Artsakh from historical and political reality.
