Baku, March 10, AZERTAC

Court hearings on the criminal case against citizens of the Republic of Armenia Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Davit Babayan, Lyova Mnatsakanyan and others, who are accused of committing crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including the preparation and conduct of a war of aggression, acts of genocide, violation of the laws and customs of warfare, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, forcible seizure of power, forcible retention of power and numerous other crimes as a result of Armenia's military aggression, were continued on March 10.

The hearings held at the Baku Military Court were presided over by Judge Zeynal Aghayev and a panel consisting of Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova). Each of the accused was provided with an interpreter into the language of their choice, as well as defense attorneys.

Present at the review hearings were the accused and their defense attorneys, some of the victims, their legal successors and representatives, as well as prosecutors in charge of public prosecution.

The trial continued with the accused being asked questions.

The accused Arkady Ghukasyan was first to be asked questions by the prosecutors in charge of public prosecution.

In response to a question, he said he had worked as a deputy editor in “Soviet Armenia” newspaper. He said, “I wrote on issues related to the Karabakh conflict. The newspaper was published until 1991. The newspaper has not been published since then.”

Arkady Ghukasyan emphasized that he had condemned all illegal actions and noted, “In my opinion, a person killing a woman, a child or an elderly is not a human being. And it is not about a person’s nationality.”

He said that he studied at school in Karabakh in Russian, but added that there were more Armenian schools than those in Azerbaijani and Russian. Ghukasyan admitted that there had been no problems with the Armenian language in Karabakh.

In response to the prosecutor's question about the “Greater Armenia” ideology, Arkady Ghukasyan described this idea as a fairy tale and noted, “I have not believed in fairy tales about a ‘Greater Armenia’ for a long time. The idea of a ‘Greater Armenia’ is just a fairy tale. I live in real life and have never taken it seriously.”

He said that he had met Zori Balayan, who figures in the case as a member of the criminal group, in 1993, and Vazgen Manukyan in 1994. He said that Robert Kocharyan was his leader.

While answering the questions of the prosecutors in charge of public prosecution, Arkady Ghukasyan also spoke about the former president of the Republic of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan. He said that Arkady Manvelovich Manucharov was the main speaker at the illegal rallies held in Karabakh in 1988. He said, “I do not remember Robert Kocharyan's speeches. Since we were both educated in Russian, he, like me, had problems with the literary Armenian language. It is possible that he was one of the organizers of the rallies, because he was a member of the Krunk organization.”

Then Bako Sahakyan's defense attorney asked the court to create suitable conditions for a confidential meeting with the person he was defending. The court granted the defense attorney's request and arranged for a confidential meeting. A recess was announced in the hearings.

After the recess, the accused Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Davit Ishkhanyan and Davit Babayan were asked questions about the leaders and participants in the illegal armed formations created by Armenia and operating under its support and leadership in the territory of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic and in Karabakh, an integral part of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, who constituted the core of the criminal organization, what its relations with Armenia, its leadership and high-ranking officials were like, what their activities and role in day-to-day operations of these formations were, as well as the criminal ideology of a “Greater Armenia”, the goals and objectives of the “Miatsum” and “Karabakh” movements, the functions, activities and agenda of the “Krunk” organization, the persons leading the aforementioned movements and their relations with the accused, whether the accused participated in the illegal rallies organized in Karabakh, who the speakers at those rallies were, who and in what form involved people in those rallies or how they were invited to them.

In response to questions from prosecutors in charge of public prosecution, the accused Bako Sahakyan admitted that the first calls for armament in Karabakh were made during the illegal rallies.

He said that there was armament in villages and cities and noted, “Some of the weapons came from Soviet military units deployed there. In addition, there were weapons supplies from Armenia. These were the main directions of armament.”

Then the accused Davit Ishkhanyan answered questions from the prosecutors.

Another accused, Arayik Harutunyan, said in response to questions of the prosecutors that he was 14 years old when the Karabakh events began. He said that he had not participated in the illegal rallies because he was a schoolboy, but was aware of the people who spoke at those rallies and knew them. He noted, “I know that writers Gurgen Gabrelyan, Vartan Hakobyan and Harachi Beglaryan spoke at the rallies. Of the writers, Gurgen Gabrelyan was a children's poet. This is all I knew.”

In response to questions, Arayik Harutunyan said that he had heard the names of some of the illegal armed formations. Speaking about the “Arabo” battalion, he said, “I had heard the names of 30 percent of them from the list you have just mentioned. I knew about “Arabo”, “Arami”, “Great Tigran”, and “David of Sasunchi”. I was aware that they had been involved in some combat operations. I know more about “Arabo”. One of its commanders was named Manvel. My contacts with him began after 2020.”

In response to questions from prosecutors in charge of public prosecution, the accused Davit Babayan said that the so-called “army” of the self-styled entity included various armed formations, but that he personally had not participated in those processes. He said he had met Arayik Harutyunyan in 1990.

During the hearings trial, the accused were questioned from representatives of the victims, as well as their own defense attorneys.

The next hearings are scheduled for March 13. The hearings will continue with questions to be asked of the accused.

A total of 15 Armenian nationals are being charged with numerous crimes involving direct leadership and participation of the Armenian state, its state bodies, military forces and illegal armed formations, verbal and written instructions, orders and assignments, provision of material and technical support, central governance, as well as the exercise of rigorous control, with the aim of committing military aggression and acts of terror against the Republic of Azerbaijan in the territory of Azerbaijan in violation of domestic and international law, and involving Robert Sedraki Kocharyan, Serzh Azati Sargsyan, Vazgen Mikaeli Manukyan, Vazgen Zaveni Sargsyan, Samvel Andraniki Babayan, Vitali Mikaeli Balasanyan, Zori Hayki Balayan, Seyran Mushegi Ohanyan, Arshavir Surenovich Garamyan, Monte Charles Melkonyan and others, including criminal acts committed during the course of the war of aggression waged by the aforementioned criminal group.

The said persons, i.e. Arayik Vladimiri Harutyunyan, Arkadi Arshaviri Ghukasyan, Bako Sahaki Sahakyan, Davit Rubeni Ishkhanyan, David Azatini Manukyan, Davit Klimi Babayan, Levon Henrikovich Mnatsakanyan, Vasili Ivani Beglaryan, Erik Roberti Ghazaryan, Davit Nelsoni Allahverdiyan, Gurgen Homeri Stepanyan, Levon Romiki Balayan, Madat Arakelovich Babayan, Garik Grigori Martirosyan, Melikset Vladimiri Pashayan, are being charged under Articles 100 (planning, preparing, initiating and waging a war of aggression), 102 (attacking persons or organizations enjoying international protection), 103 (genocide), 105 (extermination of the population), 106 (enslaving), 107 (deportation or forced displacement of the population), 109 (persecution), 110 (enforced disappearance of people), 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to international law), 113 (torture), 114 (mercenary service), 115 (violation of the laws and customs of warfare), 116 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict), 118 (military robbery), 120 (intentional murder), 192 (illegal entrepreneurship), 214 (terrorism), 214-1 (financing terrorism), 218 (creation of a criminal association (organization)), 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation and possession of weapons, their components, ammunition, explosives and devices), 270-1 (acts threatening aviation security), 277 (assassination of a state official or public figure), 278 (forcible seizure and retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state), 279 (creation of armed formations and groups not provided for by law) and other articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.