Not Israel’s Generals but Former Presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh Arrested by Azerbaijan Security Forces: Viral Video is Misleading

A video recently went viral on social media. In the video, police officers were seen taking different men out of the car, one by one, while they were wearing handcuffs. Someone named Afzal Khan shared this video on Twitter and added a caption that said, “LATEST: Several high-profile Israel Generals captured by Hamas fighters.” He also used hashtags like #Israel, #Palestine, and #Hamas.

Another propaganda news portal named South Asia Journal shared the viral video and wrote, LATEST: Several high-profile Israel Generals captured by Hamas fighters.

Apart from this, some other Twitter handles like Afzal Khan, Diksha Choudhary, and Taby Khan also shared the same viral video and made similar claims.

So, is it true that the arrested persons in the viral video are high-profile Israel generals caught by Hamas fighters? Let’s Fact Check.

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Fact Check

In our investigation, we first did the reverse video search of the viral video to know it’s authenticity. During this, we found out that the video, which gained widespread attention, originally appeared in a video uploaded on October 5, 2023, on Azerbaijan’s state security service official YouTube channel, known as DTX Official. At precisely 2 minutes and 27 seconds into the video, we saw the same visuals as in the viral clip.

The reality behind this video is eye-opening. According to DTX Official, a criminal case is currently underway within the State Security Service, focusing on the acts of terrorism carried out by illegal armed groups operating in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. The investigation has revealed the involvement of individuals like Gukasyan Arkadi Arshaviri, Sahakyan Bako Sahaki, and Ishkhanyan Davit Rubeni in organizing and arming these groups, leading to attacks that have caused harm and even death. Their actions are suspected to involve terrorist financing and the planning of terrorist acts, posing a significant threat to public security.

As of October 3, 2023, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Davit Ishkhanyan have been arrested and charged under various sections of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. Investigative and operational measures continue as we delve further into this complex case.

After this, we did a keyword research with the words, Persons organizing the activities of illegal armed groups in Karabakh were arrested. During this search, we stumbled upon a revealing report by OC Media, dated October 4, 2023.

This report unveiled a surprising revelation: the very individuals who had been handcuffed in the viral video were, in fact, three former presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh—Arayik Harutyunyan (serving from 2020 to 2023), Arkadi Ghukasyan (who held the presidency from 1997 to 2007), and Bako Sahakyan (in office from 2007 to 2020). Furthermore, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Davit Ishkhanyan, was also among those apprehended by Azerbaijan and subsequently transferred to Baku.

Furthermore, we stumbled upon another crucial report, this time from Asbarez, published on October 3, 2023. This report also provided a revealing glimpse into the individuals featured in the viral video.

According to the Asbarez report, Artsakh’s former presidents Arkady Ghukasian and Bako Sahakian, along with Artsakh’s Parliament Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan, had indeed been arrested and had already been transported to Baku. The report revealed that Artsakh’s former president, Arayik Harutyunyan, had also been arrested and was in the process of being transported to Baku.

Hence, all these points prove that the individuals seen handcuffed in the viral video were not high-profile Israeli generals. The individuals detained were, in fact, former presidents of Nagorno-Karabakh arrested by Azerbaijan security forces.