Baku, April 3, AZERTAC

Court hearings on the criminal case against citizens of the Republic of Armenia Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, David 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 April 3.

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.

During the hearings, the prosecutors in charge of public prosecution asked questions of David Ishkhanyan, who worked as “speaker of parliament” and held other “positions” in the self-styled entity.

The accused answered questions about his functions and duties within the criminal organization, the forcible seizure of power in the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan once occupied by Armenia, the activities of the so-called “parliament” of the self-proclaimed republic, his role and responsibilities in that “organization” as a “member of parliament” and then as “speaker of parliament,” the degree of his participation and his role in the “self-defense battalion”, an illegal armed formation established in the self-proclaimed republic, the ideology, directions of activity, political ties of the “Dashnaktsutyun” party, the party’s activities in the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation, his position and role within the party, as well as the role and participation of the Armenian state, its institutions, armed forces, and high-ranking officials in the aforementioned processes.

While answering questions from public prosecutor Vusal Abdullayev, he admitted that he had held the position of “battalion commander” in the self-proclaimed republic since the summer of 1992 and participated in the war against Azerbaijan.

David Ishkhanyan said that he was an active member of the 'Dashnaktsutyun' party and served as the 'faction leader' in the 'parliament' of the so-called republic for two years.

The accused also acknowledged that he had joined the war against Azerbaijan in the summer of 1992 as a member of the “Dashnaktsutyun” party.

Answering questions from the senior assistant to the Prosecutor General, Vusal Aliyev, who also represents public prosecution, David Ishkhanyan said that leadership of the self-styled entity’s “army” was exercised by the “self-defense committee”. He said, “The leaders were Serzh Sarkisyan and Samvel Babayan, but I cannot say anything about the management mechanism.”

When answering questions from Nasir Bayramov, the head of the Department of Public Prosecution of the Prosecutor General’s Office, the accused noted that when he was a “battalion commander” during the First Karabakh War, he reported to Monte Melkonyan.

David Ishkhanyan admitted that he had fought against Azerbaijani soldiers in Aghdara, Khojavand, Kalbajar and Aghdam during the war.

“There were eight battalions in Khojavand, and I was the ‘commander’ of one of them. Eight battalions were subordinated to the ‘defense line’ of the region, its leader was Monte Melkonyan, and the commander of the ‘army’ was Samvel Babayan,” he said.

During the hearings, public prosecutor Fuad Musayev said that weapons and communication equipment were discovered in the “Park” hotel owned by the accused David Ikhshanyan after Azerbaijan had restored its state sovereignty in October 2023 and asked the accused questions about that. David Ikhshanyan said that the communication equipment belonged to the hotel and accused other Armenian residents of bringing the weapons and ammunition to the hotel. He said, “In my opinion, it belonged to the people from Aghdara who had come to the hotel a week before the incident and settled there. They probably left them behind.”

The accused admitted that he had met with servicemen in a military unit in Khojavand district of Azerbaijan, which was then under occupation, during the Second Karabakh War. “My youngest son was serving there. And as a “member of parliament”, it was my duty to do these things.”

He also said that he had been awarded for fighting against Azerbaijani soldiers. He said, “The Order of the Battle Cross was awarded to me for my combat activities, of course.”

Asked by the public prosecutor, “You stated at a press conference on August 30, 2023 that you had sent open letters to the speakers of parliament of Russia, Iran, France, the USA and European countries, calling on them to put pressure on Azerbaijan. What was the content of those letters? And what kind of pressure on Azerbaijan were you calling for?”, David Ishkhanyan answered, “Yes, I did send such letters, but I am not aware whether those letters reached their destination.”

The accused then answered the question of public prosecutor Vusal Abdullayev about the purpose of Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan. He said, “I cannot talk about that period, because I was too young at the time. But when I became an adult, I realized what strategic goals and strategic principles were. The strategic goal was the unification of Karabakh with Armenia.”

David Ishkhanyan also spoke about his relationship with Ruben Vardanyan and his stay at the hotel he owned. “I met Ruben Vardanyan in 2010 or 2011. He liked visiting our hotel. He used to hold meetings at the hotel before or after he became “state minister”.

He noted that it says in his birth certificate that he was born in the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, but that he was a citizen of the Republic of Armenia. “After the collapse of the Soviet Union, just like 150,000 Armenians, I also adopted the citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. I have a passport of the Republic of Armenia. I am a citizen of the Republic of Armenia. This is also stated in my passport that is currently with the investigative body.”

The next court hearing is scheduled for April 4. The proceedings will be continued with questions to be asked of the accused.

We recall that 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, David 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.