Inside the Ghazanchi Church in Shusha. The church has been restored in accordance with its original architectural style. All lawful structures, as well as historical, cultural, and religious monuments within the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, are protected, reserved and restored in line with national legislation.

The decision of the Baku court regarding oligarch Ruben Vardanyan represents not only the delivery of justice, but also the symbolic and logical conclusion of the past nearly 30-year conflict that brought immense suffering to the Azerbaijani people. By advancing a unique military-political resolution model of conflict and initiating a post-conflict peace agenda, Azerbaijan has also ensured accountability for individuals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including Bako Saakyan, Araik Harutyunyan, and Ruben Vardanyan and others. On the eve of the next anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, the issuance of these court decisions represents a profound tribute to the memory of the innocent victims of that tragedy and of the conflict as a whole. We expected that international courts or tribunals — such as the Nuremberg Trials, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, or the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda — would be established. However, in today’s unjust international environment, even the application of law has become increasingly politicized and subject to double standards. Therefore, Azerbaijan organized open court proceedings and ensured justice through its own legal system, setting an example for the international community. However, it is utterly immoral and unethical that certain circles — including some members of the European Parliament and organizations such as Amnesty International — call for the release of individuals accused of grave war crimes. As President Ilham Aliyev stated in his interview with France 24: “Imagine the Nuremberg Trials after World War II, and two months after all those Nazi leaders are sentenced to death, someone comes and asks for their release… Their crimes were even worse than what the Nazis did during World War II.” Where there is a crime, there must be accountability — and justice has been fully ensured. Exonerating a person accused of war crimes amounts to legitimizing those crimes and becoming complicit in undermining accountability. Sustainable peace and ethnic reconciliation cannot be achieved without justice. Azerbaijan will further continue its steadfast efforts to advance and consolidate regional peace agenda.