What Happened to Artsakh's Prisoners After Azerbaijan’s Occupation? Insights from Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan

EXCLUSIVE: The fate of inmates held at the Shushi prison, the sole penitentiary institution in the Republic of Artsakh, has been a lingering question since Azerbaijan’s military offensives in 2020 and the subsequent ethnic cleansing in 2023. In an exclusive interview with The Armenian Report, Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender, Gegham Stepanyan, shed light on what happened to these prisoners during and after the upheavals.

The Shushi penitentiary played a critical role in Artsakh's judicial system until the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. During the war, some inmates were transferred to prisons in Armenia, while others were granted amnesty, depending on the severity of their crimes.

"Shushi prison was, in fact, the only penitentiary institution in Artsakh. During the war of 2020, some inmates were transferred to the Republic of Armenia, and others were released under amnesty, depending on the type of punishment or crime committed," Stepanyan explained.

When Shushi fell under Azerbaijani control after the war, the situation for Artsakh’s justice system became dire. Most prisoners convicted by Artsakh courts after 2020 were housed in Armenian penitentiaries, including the Goris prison. This marked the beginning of significant challenges in safeguarding their rights.

As the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh, Stepanyan faced numerous difficulties in ensuring fair treatment for prisoners. He relied on the support of Armenia’s Human Rights Defender to address complaints and conduct visits to Armenian prisons.

"The rights of imprisoned persons became very difficult to protect," Stepanyan noted. "The institution of the Human Rights Defender of Armenia supported me in this matter."

However, logistical challenges arose when prisoners had ongoing court proceedings in Artsakh. In such cases, they were temporarily transferred back to Artsakh to attend court sessions. These transfers, already complicated, became nearly impossible during Azerbaijan's blockade of Artsakh.

The blockade of Artsakh disrupted communication and prisoner transfers to Armenia, forcing authorities to adapt in unprecedented ways. The military police building in Artsakh was converted into a temporary detention center.

"During the blockade, it was impossible to organize prisoner transfers. The military police facility in Artsakh was transformed into a detention center, a temporary solution in the hope that normalcy would return to Artsakh," Stepanyan explained. Unfortunately, this hope was never realized.

Following the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh in 2023, the legal and penal systems of the region effectively ceased to exist. According to Stepanyan, most individuals convicted by Artsakh’s judicial system were released during this time.

"After 2023, when Artsakh underwent ethnic cleansing, most of the people convicted by Artsakh's judicial system were released," he said.

Despite his efforts, Stepanyan was unable to visit prisoners held in Armenian facilities after their transfer. Complaints from inmates or their relatives were forwarded to Armenia’s Human Rights Defender for follow-up.

The story of Artsakh’s prisoners shows the collapse of the Artsakh Republic’s institutions in the face of war, blockade, and forced displacement. For the prisoners and their families, justice and rights remain precarious.

"The entire situation is a reflection of what happened to Artsakh as a whole," Stepanyan concluded.