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Sadistic Pleasures: Silent Crimes of Azerbaijan
In Sadistic Pleasures, an independent journalist documents the true stories of torture, pain, and merciless psychological abuse endured by 14 Armenian soldiers and civilians who became prisoners of war in Azerbaijan during the Forty-Four Day War in 2020 for control of the autonomous Republic of Artsakh. This book contains their first-hand memoirs of what goes on behind enemy lines, hidden from the scrutiny of the United Nations and international human rights organizations.
The testimonies of these brave POWs reveal the mindsets of the perpetrators of heinous war crimes during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War—ordinary people who are motivated by generations of political indoctrination of hatred for Armenians. They expose an international epidemic of racism and bigotry behind this humanitarian crisis in the Turkic world that must be overcome through free journalism and public reporting before peace can ever return to this disputed territory.
Additionally, these historic interviews are framed by a historical overview of how the dispute over Artsakh arose. Included here is the region's ancient past, Stalin's reassignment of the region to Azerbaijan during the Soviet Union, the near-unanimous declaration of independence in 1991, the First Nagorno-Karabakh War that followed, and the 26 years of frozen conflict with Armenia since.
The testimonies of these brave POWs reveal the mindsets of the perpetrators of heinous war crimes during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War—ordinary people who are motivated by generations of political indoctrination of hatred for Armenians. They expose an international epidemic of racism and bigotry behind this humanitarian crisis in the Turkic world that must be overcome through free journalism and public reporting before peace can ever return to this disputed territory.
Additionally, these historic interviews are framed by a historical overview of how the dispute over Artsakh arose. Included here is the region's ancient past, Stalin's reassignment of the region to Azerbaijan during the Soviet Union, the near-unanimous declaration of independence in 1991, the First Nagorno-Karabakh War that followed, and the 26 years of frozen conflict with Armenia since.
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2022
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May 7, 2022
A raw glance into the conflict rarely mentioned on the international news.
'Sadistic Pleasures: Silent Crimes of Azerbaijan' by Ashkhen Arakelyan is a collection of interviews connected with the Second Nagorno-Karabakh (Ashtakh) war.
September 2020 saw the opening of an old abscess, war actions on the disputed territory between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In thirteen interviews with Armenian survivors who lived through captivity, Ashkhen Arakelyan sheds light on the atrocities committed by Azerbaijan. Torture, hunger, thirst, deprivation of sleep, no access to medical aid - and all this under the sketchy control of the Red Cross - became hideous reality nobody wanted to hear about. The fourteenth interview of the book pictures a family who made a difficult decision to release two Azerbaijani killers of the family's member, a teenager, in exchange for 44 Armenian captives.
To provide a detailed account, the author has paired the short historical outline of the conflict with survivors' memories, organized in fourteen chapters, according to the number of interviewees. On the little more than 100 pages, the resulting narrative rapidly unfolds as the reader, along with the author, gets deeper inside the suffering, mental and psychical. Some interviews are presented as uninterrupted, continuous stories; others are propelled further with questions from the author. The author's emotional reactions have a two-fold effect: they make the story resonate more with the readers while, from the cool-headed point of view, adding nothing significant to the overall picture.
The author was guided by personal connectedness to the story rather than a scientific approach; this is evident from the absence of any meaningful analysis, psychological, sociological, historical, or other. There was no apparent system for choosing interviewees; thus, recollections of people who served together repeat almost the same story.
I'd rate the book three stars if not for the insightful foreword from the publisher Gregory V. Diehl, who showed the way of avoiding bias in our time of propaganda. He redirects the blame for the atrocities upon the individual people and policy-makers and acknowledges 'pride of your national identity.' For:
'Anyone who is forced to form their worldview under conditions of strict informational control and take violent actions at the behest of the politicians is, ultimately, as much a victim as the innocent people hurt by these actions. National pride and cultural ideology, therefore, can be dangerous things when evaluating the truth during tense and conflicted situations. It is only by bringing uncomfortable facts to light that we can eliminate inhumanity and raise everyone to a higher standard in chaotic times.'
I recommend the book as the starting point of research for scholars studying the politics and history of the Caucasus. The book can be an easy (despite the horrible topic) introduction to the Caucasus for the people who have no previous knowledge of the conflict.
I obtained an advance review copy through BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
'Sadistic Pleasures: Silent Crimes of Azerbaijan' by Ashkhen Arakelyan is a collection of interviews connected with the Second Nagorno-Karabakh (Ashtakh) war.
September 2020 saw the opening of an old abscess, war actions on the disputed territory between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In thirteen interviews with Armenian survivors who lived through captivity, Ashkhen Arakelyan sheds light on the atrocities committed by Azerbaijan. Torture, hunger, thirst, deprivation of sleep, no access to medical aid - and all this under the sketchy control of the Red Cross - became hideous reality nobody wanted to hear about. The fourteenth interview of the book pictures a family who made a difficult decision to release two Azerbaijani killers of the family's member, a teenager, in exchange for 44 Armenian captives.
To provide a detailed account, the author has paired the short historical outline of the conflict with survivors' memories, organized in fourteen chapters, according to the number of interviewees. On the little more than 100 pages, the resulting narrative rapidly unfolds as the reader, along with the author, gets deeper inside the suffering, mental and psychical. Some interviews are presented as uninterrupted, continuous stories; others are propelled further with questions from the author. The author's emotional reactions have a two-fold effect: they make the story resonate more with the readers while, from the cool-headed point of view, adding nothing significant to the overall picture.
The author was guided by personal connectedness to the story rather than a scientific approach; this is evident from the absence of any meaningful analysis, psychological, sociological, historical, or other. There was no apparent system for choosing interviewees; thus, recollections of people who served together repeat almost the same story.
I'd rate the book three stars if not for the insightful foreword from the publisher Gregory V. Diehl, who showed the way of avoiding bias in our time of propaganda. He redirects the blame for the atrocities upon the individual people and policy-makers and acknowledges 'pride of your national identity.' For:
'Anyone who is forced to form their worldview under conditions of strict informational control and take violent actions at the behest of the politicians is, ultimately, as much a victim as the innocent people hurt by these actions. National pride and cultural ideology, therefore, can be dangerous things when evaluating the truth during tense and conflicted situations. It is only by bringing uncomfortable facts to light that we can eliminate inhumanity and raise everyone to a higher standard in chaotic times.'
I recommend the book as the starting point of research for scholars studying the politics and history of the Caucasus. The book can be an easy (despite the horrible topic) introduction to the Caucasus for the people who have no previous knowledge of the conflict.
I obtained an advance review copy through BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 20, 2026
This is a interesting book about the Azeri-Armenian War. It mostly comprised of interviews between the author and former Armenian POWs. It concerns their experiences at the hands of their captors and POW guards. I found the POW accounts interesting and likely they were therapeutic for those interviewed. I am sure many people are not well informed of conflict and do know much about the war crimes the Azeris are guilty of. If you have empathy for the Palestinians in Gaza, you cannot deny the same empathy to the Armenians. There are still an estimated 200 Armenians held in Azeri custody.
The main drawback for the book from my standpoint is that I do not have a good background of the war itself. It made it hard for me to understand where the events were taking place and what the bigger picture of the war was when the POWs were captured. This was not the intent to of the author. The author makes it clear that the underlying purpose of the book was to bring attention to Azeri war crimes. This is summed up by a statement that to ignore these war crimes is to abrogate the Geneva convention.
This book is short and to the point. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in war crimes, Christian-Muslim conflicts in the Middle East and Transcaucasia or human rights.
The main drawback for the book from my standpoint is that I do not have a good background of the war itself. It made it hard for me to understand where the events were taking place and what the bigger picture of the war was when the POWs were captured. This was not the intent to of the author. The author makes it clear that the underlying purpose of the book was to bring attention to Azeri war crimes. This is summed up by a statement that to ignore these war crimes is to abrogate the Geneva convention.
This book is short and to the point. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in war crimes, Christian-Muslim conflicts in the Middle East and Transcaucasia or human rights.
November 26, 2024
Such a raw and important book. This collection of testimonies by Armenian prisoners of war provides the dark, grim, and barbaric experiences they were subjugated to. Every hostage describes the physical and psychological torture they faced. These included having heated kebab skewers poked into their legs, repeated beatings, starvation, and many others.
This book is incredibly important to read, especially given its current relevance. There are still Armenian hostages, and if there’s one takeaway from these testimonies, it’s that torture is ubiquitous. Would recommend this to anyone interested in human rights violations, especially in prisons, as well as general Armenian history.
This book is incredibly important to read, especially given its current relevance. There are still Armenian hostages, and if there’s one takeaway from these testimonies, it’s that torture is ubiquitous. Would recommend this to anyone interested in human rights violations, especially in prisons, as well as general Armenian history.
February 1, 2022
It is really nice to document the events you witnessed, your emotions، and your feelings in a book. It is really important for you and for the generation.
I highly recommend the book as it show the history parts, the facts, and the emotions.
It is really amazing ❤️
I highly recommend the book as it show the history parts, the facts, and the emotions.
It is really amazing ❤️
April 19, 2022
Did you know that at least 52 countries are experiencing armed conflict right now as you are reading this? And that 18 of those are wars, whether major or minor. And five have been on-going, in some form or another since the late 1940s.
Most of us will never be POWs or civilians caught in the midst of war, thus, hearing and learning from the experience of those subjected to such experiences is even more important. And that is where Sadistic Pleasures by Ashken Arakelyan comes in.
The armed conflict that Sadistic Pleasures exposes is the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, both former states of the Soviet Union, that has been on-going on some level since 1984. However, Armenia has had conflict with its neighbors pretty much constantly since the Turks expanded from their western China central Asian origins as far west as they could militarily occupy, which included into the Balkan region of Europe. Armenia has been a historic entity since ancient times, additionally, it has been Christian for centuries as well. Both of these characteristics have caused friction with the influx of Turk Muslims.
Ashken Arakelyan, a journalist grad student, studying in Germany returned to Armenia in 2021 to interview several POWs and detainees from the most recent escalation of the conflict, in late 2020. Some of their stories are brutally raw and all of them are substantive in showing how little people have changed since WWII or ever, if you prefer.
The full review is available on Random Thought Online
Most of us will never be POWs or civilians caught in the midst of war, thus, hearing and learning from the experience of those subjected to such experiences is even more important. And that is where Sadistic Pleasures by Ashken Arakelyan comes in.
The armed conflict that Sadistic Pleasures exposes is the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, both former states of the Soviet Union, that has been on-going on some level since 1984. However, Armenia has had conflict with its neighbors pretty much constantly since the Turks expanded from their western China central Asian origins as far west as they could militarily occupy, which included into the Balkan region of Europe. Armenia has been a historic entity since ancient times, additionally, it has been Christian for centuries as well. Both of these characteristics have caused friction with the influx of Turk Muslims.
Ashken Arakelyan, a journalist grad student, studying in Germany returned to Armenia in 2021 to interview several POWs and detainees from the most recent escalation of the conflict, in late 2020. Some of their stories are brutally raw and all of them are substantive in showing how little people have changed since WWII or ever, if you prefer.
The full review is available on Random Thought Online
February 6, 2022
If you want to really understand how insipid the cultural hatred of Armenians in Azerbaijan is, you need look no further than the shocking stories of torture in Sadistic Pleasures by Ashkhen Arakelyan. The book brilliantly covers the history of the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh in a way that is easily corroborated by mainstream historians and shows us what these people have struggled with since Soviet Union times to maintain their identity and integrity as warlords fight over who gets to rule them. This kind of reporting brilliantly blends Soviet, Armenian, and Azerbaijani history into modern times and social conflicts.
February 11, 2022
A bold and sincere account of interviews of Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan by this courageous author Ashkhen Arakelyan, who sheds a light on the consequences of what decades of ethnic hatred propaganda did/does to the psych of the Azerbaijani nation.
My deep gratitude to the author for taking the initiative to write about these boys’ pain, the pain of a whole nation in such a sober, just, bold and upstanding manner.
A very important account!
My deep gratitude to the author for taking the initiative to write about these boys’ pain, the pain of a whole nation in such a sober, just, bold and upstanding manner.
A very important account!
Read
May 27, 2022Sadistic Pleasures Silent Crime of Azerbaijan by Ashkhen Arakelyan is documentation of hurt, pain, torture, and transgression of human rights committed by the Azerbaijan Army over the Armenian captives. This occurred during the Nagorno-Artsakh 44-day war in 2020.
History is a witness to such violence and cruelty caused by an individual’s decision that destroyed millions of lives. The colonial powers had in the past redrawn boundaries in haste without sparing a thought for the consequences. Stalin during the Soviet Union assigned Artsakh to Azerbaijan. The Armenians and Azerbaijan have never trusted each other, ever since.
The author interviews 14 Armenian individuals on their horrific journey of finding themselves as a prisoner of war in the 44-day war with Azerbaijan. These individuals relate their stories of humiliation and torture to the author. The flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention was rampant. These individuals are vocal about how their seniors deserted them on the battlefield. An utter disregard for the safety and welfare of the men on the front. They do not hold back in accusing the Armenian government of being spineless; for not doing enough to get back Armenian individuals held captive by the Azerbaijanian army.
The author must be complimented for being able to persuade some of the affected individuals to speak about their tryst with inhumanity. The narrative of the book points to the indifference of governments and society indoctrinated to hate the other. Years of propaganda and fake news have prevented neighbors from trusting each other.
I am reluctant but I will rate this book a five. Reluctant because It will be inappropriate to dissect the suffering and anguish of these brave individuals. The book pierces our sensibilities and I hope it brings awareness about this conflict, its futility, and its aftermath. The question is what is this lack that makes us humans so inhuman.
History is a witness to such violence and cruelty caused by an individual’s decision that destroyed millions of lives. The colonial powers had in the past redrawn boundaries in haste without sparing a thought for the consequences. Stalin during the Soviet Union assigned Artsakh to Azerbaijan. The Armenians and Azerbaijan have never trusted each other, ever since.
The author interviews 14 Armenian individuals on their horrific journey of finding themselves as a prisoner of war in the 44-day war with Azerbaijan. These individuals relate their stories of humiliation and torture to the author. The flagrant violation of the Geneva Convention was rampant. These individuals are vocal about how their seniors deserted them on the battlefield. An utter disregard for the safety and welfare of the men on the front. They do not hold back in accusing the Armenian government of being spineless; for not doing enough to get back Armenian individuals held captive by the Azerbaijanian army.
The author must be complimented for being able to persuade some of the affected individuals to speak about their tryst with inhumanity. The narrative of the book points to the indifference of governments and society indoctrinated to hate the other. Years of propaganda and fake news have prevented neighbors from trusting each other.
I am reluctant but I will rate this book a five. Reluctant because It will be inappropriate to dissect the suffering and anguish of these brave individuals. The book pierces our sensibilities and I hope it brings awareness about this conflict, its futility, and its aftermath. The question is what is this lack that makes us humans so inhuman.
February 10, 2022
It's impossible to imagine what it's like to be in the position of an innocent person (including even civilians) who are captured by an overwhelmingly powerful enemy who holds no regard for your humans rights, safety, or basic humanity and is incensed with hatred for you simply because of your race and nation. The fate of the people of Artsakh, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Armenia proper depend on how we react to these true stories.
February 2, 2022
This is important historical information about Azerbaijan and Armenia that the international community at large needs to know.
July 19, 2022
*I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*
The 44-Day War between Azerbaijan and Armenia is a conflict I had very little awareness of prior to reaing this book. This collection of accounts from Armenians captured by the Azerbaijan military makes for difficult reading - soldiers and even ordinary citizens caught at the wrong place and time experienced imprisonment, beatings, and were forced to disavow their national values. I was also intrigued the repeated mentions of Russian peacekeeping forces and would like to know more about how these forces had an impact and their purpose in the region. Overall, a harrowing read, but important for those who wish to know more about this unreported conflict.
The 44-Day War between Azerbaijan and Armenia is a conflict I had very little awareness of prior to reaing this book. This collection of accounts from Armenians captured by the Azerbaijan military makes for difficult reading - soldiers and even ordinary citizens caught at the wrong place and time experienced imprisonment, beatings, and were forced to disavow their national values. I was also intrigued the repeated mentions of Russian peacekeeping forces and would like to know more about how these forces had an impact and their purpose in the region. Overall, a harrowing read, but important for those who wish to know more about this unreported conflict.
April 20, 2025
Incredibly sad but incredibly urgent. I remember someone saying the Genocide and displacement in Artsakh was “bad timing” as it co-occurs with Genocide in Palestine and that’s why it doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.…. But it’s all intertwined. Israel literally provides weapons to Azerbaijan to carry out these crimes …
May 18, 2022
In her first book, Sadistic Pleasures, Ashkhen Arakelyan has written a compelling narrative, documenting the modern conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Her focus is Armenian POWs of the 44 day in 2020, with historical reference to the 4 day conflict in 2016. I learned a good deal or history of ancient conflict between different ethnic groups re-released following the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 90s. At first I was distracted by Ashkhen's personal reflections on the stories being told but I quickly came to appreciate her raw honesty, as it demonstrates the inner struggle between real journalism and subjective passion. Regardless, Ashkhen is a powerful advocate for the those abused and tortured by Azeri soldiers. Which side Russia chose to back during these conflicts was crucial and Russia's limited support of Armenia in response to Azerbaijan's secession is ironic. The use of Social Media and cell phone communication during times of war added another great irony, as the Armenian soldiers could be so close and far away from their loved ones. The interviews document and verify the consistency of brutality committed. I am left with one common experience described, that the human body can become numb literally numb to pain. Maybe this is the brain's way of preparing the body for death. English is likely Ashkhen's third language and her style and skills will certainly grow and she continues to write. Her use of syntax resulted in some awkward sentences but it did not distract from the stories. I look forward the reading her next work of journalistic non-fiction.
June 12, 2022
Sadistic Pleasures: Silent Crimes of Azerbaijan by Ashkhen Arakelyan was a May Early Readers selection for May 2022. I am writing this review for the Library Thing Early Readers. This book was not a pleasure to read, but a very eye-opening read that painfully teaches once again the depths inhumanity can reach driven by ignorance and prejudice, and just plain stupidity. Armenia's struggle to survive is as old as the people of Armenia and their land itself. My only previous knowledge the Armenian's struggle to survive was from reading Franz Werfel's "The Forty Days of Musa Dagh", the telling of the attempted genocide by the Turkish government of its Armenian population. Both accounts bolster the truth of Armenia's sad, very brave struggle to survive, and the vicious lengths to which her enemies will resort in an ageless and senseless fight to destroy them. Sadistic Pleasures also highlights the great need for a strengthening of sanctions, also now seen in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, of war crimes. A sanction that must include governments and individuals, acting with or without the approval of their government or people. I am a pacifist at heart, how to implement such measures is a challenge, a great challenge. Unless the Civilized world rises against the barbarians masquerading as great powers, and uses every economic and educational tool they can muster to overcome the challenges presented by ignorance and envy that drive the lust for power and the cruelty that comes of fear of the unknown. These are ideas inspired by the actual events recounted in this book, bolstered by current events.
February 10, 2023
This was an extremely hard book for me to read. It took me 3 or 4 times the normal time to read a book because I just couldn't keep going. Not because of the writing- but because of the horrendous treatment these pows faced. The heartbreaking gut wrenching pains and suffering these people and their families faced.
I'll admit I've never heard a single thing about this conflict (nor anything from this region) and so I was intrigued to read this book. I don't regret reading it as it opened my eyes so much but my heart and soul are heavy with the pains these POWs faced as well as the hundreds that are still imprisoned.
It's one thing to think about POWs being beaten and abused and mistreated back in the 40s but in the 2020s knowing such horrific inhumane treatment is still happening is unacceptable. The title for sure fits the stories told as sadist is the only way to describe most of the guards described.
I'll admit I've never heard a single thing about this conflict (nor anything from this region) and so I was intrigued to read this book. I don't regret reading it as it opened my eyes so much but my heart and soul are heavy with the pains these POWs faced as well as the hundreds that are still imprisoned.
It's one thing to think about POWs being beaten and abused and mistreated back in the 40s but in the 2020s knowing such horrific inhumane treatment is still happening is unacceptable. The title for sure fits the stories told as sadist is the only way to describe most of the guards described.
October 19, 2022
Well Written
A collection of testimonies from Armenian witnesses and victims, this book paints a stark picture of what the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict looks like from the Armenian side. The writing is clear and concise, and the sheer number of testimonies calls for further investigation.
I’ve done my share of investigations, and I guarantee that one side is not enough to get the entire picture. I’ll have to check the Azerbaijani version of events.
A collection of testimonies from Armenian witnesses and victims, this book paints a stark picture of what the Azerbaijani-Armenian conflict looks like from the Armenian side. The writing is clear and concise, and the sheer number of testimonies calls for further investigation.
I’ve done my share of investigations, and I guarantee that one side is not enough to get the entire picture. I’ll have to check the Azerbaijani version of events.
February 23, 2022
The whole book is based on lies and fake information against Azerbaijan. This is another disgusting propaganda spreading biased and misleading information.
December 22, 2025
Azerbaijan is a harrowing and profoundly important work that brings to light stories rarely told. Ashkhen Arakelyan’s meticulous documentation of the experiences of Armenian soldiers and civilians during the Forty-Four Day War is both chilling and illuminating. Each testimony resonates with authenticity, courage, and heartbreaking detail, allowing readers to witness the human cost of conflict from a deeply personal perspective.
What makes this book exceptional is the balance between raw, firsthand accounts and the historical framing provided. By contextualizing these experiences within the history of Artsakh, Arakelyan not only honors the victims but also provides readers with a clear understanding of the broader geopolitical tensions. Azerbaijan is a vital read for anyone seeking insight into human rights, modern conflict, and the power of courageous journalism.
What makes this book exceptional is the balance between raw, firsthand accounts and the historical framing provided. By contextualizing these experiences within the history of Artsakh, Arakelyan not only honors the victims but also provides readers with a clear understanding of the broader geopolitical tensions. Azerbaijan is a vital read for anyone seeking insight into human rights, modern conflict, and the power of courageous journalism.
April 2, 2022
Couldn't finish it.
"They captured me, they beat me, they tortured me. They didn't feed me well. They don't like me. The Red Cross came to visit me, I lied to them and said I was being treated well."
Same story repeated many times. Nothing significant here.
"They captured me, they beat me, they tortured me. They didn't feed me well. They don't like me. The Red Cross came to visit me, I lied to them and said I was being treated well."
Same story repeated many times. Nothing significant here.
June 13, 2022
A harrowing collection of stories describing treatment of Armenian POW's during recent conflict with Azerbaijan. Ashken does an excellent job of drawing the reader in with her interview style writing.
Read
May 27, 2025Read a while back when I heard of the war in the news. It's not really acceptable to rate something like this. I also don't have a sufficient understanding of the war from an Azeri perspective and am clueless as to any biases or misinformation this book presents.
July 13, 2022
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