Baku court reveals Armenian separatist’s justification of Dashnaktsutyun’s role in Karabakh conflict
The video, originally broadcast by the television station of the former separatist entity, provides insight into Ishkhanyan’s defense of the Dashnaktsutyun party and its involvement in the conflict, Caliber.Az reported.
In the video, Ishkhanyan spoke candidly about the activities of Dashnaktsutyun in the Karabakh region during the early 1990s. He described how the party’s efforts were not limited to military action but extended to organizing resources and personnel. Ishkhanyan recalled, “Dashnaktsutyun arrived in Karabakh in 1990-1991. The main activity, of course, was carried out in the front area… The Dashnaktsutyun party acted in Karabakh not only with weapons but also in terms of material and human resources.”
He also highlighted the party’s role in the formation of armed detachments and its critical support for the separatist cause. “Dashnaktsutyun played the role of a shield for us… It is not by chance that from 1990 to 1994, Dashnaktsutyun was instrumental in army construction and other spheres,” Ishkhanyan said, revealing his personal involvement in the party’s military activities at the time.
When questioned by the interviewer about the eventual goal of the separatist movement, Ishkhanyan expressed a firm belief in the annexation of Karabakh to Armenia. “In my opinion, the most correct way is the eventual annexation of Karabakh to Armenia. This should be our main and ultimate goal,” he stated. “For me, Karabakh and historical Armenia are one and the same; I perceive them as one and the same.”
However, during his court appearance today, Ishkhanyan denied having made statements supporting military assistance from Dashnaktsutyun to the separatists. When questioned by the state prosecutor, he distanced himself from the content of the interview, denying any acknowledgment of the party’s role in providing military support to the separatist entity.
