(Horizon Media) – Azerbaijan’s Court of Appeal has rejected the appeals filed by the former political and military leaders of Artsakh, upholding the severe sentences imposed following widely condemned trials in Baku. The ruling, issued under Judge Elmar Rahimov, left unchanged the February 5, 2026 verdict of the Baku Military Court, Azerbaijani state media reported. The decision represents yet another stage in Azerbaijan’s politically motivated persecution of the Armenian leadership of Artsakh. Artsakh National Assembly Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan said in a voice message from prison in June that the appeal was merely a procedural formality. The imprisoned Artsakh leaders remain Armenian political hostages, and their continued detention demands an urgent and forceful response from the international community.