Baku, August 18, AZERTAC

A public court hearing continued on August 18 regarding the criminal cases against citizens of the Republic of Armenia, including Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and others, who are accused of committing crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including the preparation and conduct of an aggressive war, genocide, violation of the laws and customs of war, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, forcible seizure and retention of power, and numerous other crimes as a result of Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan.

The trial, held at the Baku Military Court under the chairmanship of Judge Zeynal Agayev, with judges Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), ensured that each accused person was provided with a translator in their preferred language and defense lawyers.

The hearing was attended by the accused, their defense attorneys, some of the victims, their legal heirs and representatives, as well as prosecutors defending the state’s accusations.

Judge Zeynal Aghayev introduced the judicial panel, the prosecutors defending the state’s accusations, the translators, and others to the victims participating in the trial for the first time, and explained their rights and obligations as stipulated by law.

The lawyer of the accused Bako Sahakyan requested a confidential meeting with his client, while the lawyer of the accused Arayik Harutyunyan asked to speak with his client by phone in the courtroom.

The presiding judge granted both requests and declared a recess for the telephone conversation and confidential meeting.

Following the recess, the hearing continued with the testimonies of the victims and their legal heirs.

Namig Hasanov, legal heir of victim Eldar Hasanov, testified that his father was martyred in Khojaly on February 26, 1992, during an attack by Armenian armed forces. He said his father had gone from Aghdam to Khojaly to help at the time.

“My relatives and I were forcibly displaced from the Aghdam district,” he added.

Mazahir Mammadov, legal heir of victim Panah Mammadov, stated that he was a resident of Oghuldara village in Lachin, and was forcibly displaced in 1992 due to Armenian attacks. His brother, Panah Mammadov, went missing during fighting in Aghdam in 1993.

Chingiz Almammedov, another legal heir, testified that he was forcibly displaced from Lachin, where he served as a police officer during its defense. He said his father Idris Almammedov, his brother Ehtiram Almammedov, his brother’s spouse Mahira Almammedova, and their infant child were killed by artillery fire from the Gorus region of Armenia during the occupation. Answering inquiry of prosecutor Nasir Bayramov, he noted that his relatives were buried in Aghjabadi.

Victim Nuran Gasimov stated that he was wounded during the 44-day Patriotic War and near the conditional border in Lachin in 2021 as a result of provocations by the Armenian armed forces. His brother, Teymur Gasimov, was martyred during the April 2016 battles.

Hidayat Jahangirov noted that he was injured in the Patriotic War on October 12, 2020. In response to accused David Manukyan, Jahangirov said he remained under treatment until May 2021.

Victim Sarvin Javadzadeh, answering public prosecutor Fuad Musayev, said he was wounded in Jabrayil on October 15, 2020, during the Patriotic War.

Vugar Farajov testified that his house in Khankendi was looted by Armenians in 1988, forcing his family to become internally displaced. He studied at school No. 4 named after Nizami Ganjavi in Khankendi until displacement. Answering prosecutor Vusal Abdullayev, he said all Azerbaijanis in Khankendi faced pressure, looting, and arson. His family later settled in Gubadli, but in 1993, they were again displaced due to the attacks by the Armenian armed forces.

Shakir Orujov stated that he was forcibly displaced from Gorchu village in Lachin in May 1992 after Armenian attacks. In response to prosecutor Tarana Mammadova, he said their houses were looted and burned down. His nephew was later martyred in Barda during an attack.

Fazil Samadov, legal heir of a victim, testified that his brother went missing during battles with Armenian armed forces in March 1993.

In response to questions from Vusal Aliyev, senior assistant to the Prosecutor General, victim Ramin Khaliov noted that he was wounded in 2005 and 2007 as a result of the gunfire from Armenian armed forces while serving in the Khojavand district.

In his testimony, Bahruz Gurbanov stated that on April 3, 2016 (during the April battles - ed.), his house and farm in Tartar were damaged due to the explosion of shells fired by Armenian armed forces, adding that he himself was also injured.

Fehruz Bayramov testified that he was forcibly displaced from the Jabrayil district on August 23, 1993, due to the Armenian armed forces’ attacks.

In response to questions from Tugay Rahimli, an assistant to the Prosecutor General for special assignments, Taleh Aliyev noted that he was forcibly displaced from the Zargar village of the Fuzuli district in 1993 due to the Armenian armed forces’ attacks, noting that two of his uncle's sons were killed.

Ali Jafarov said he was born in Khankendi, became an IDP in 1991, adding that on September 25 of the same year his father Sharif Jafarov was injured due to the attacks by the enemy in Karkijahan.

In his testimony, Mayil Shirinov stated that during the Armenian armed forces’ attacks on October 24, 1993, his father, two brothers and uncle went missing in the Jabrayil district. The remains of his brothers and uncle were found last year, while his father's remains are still missing.

Basti Hajiyeva said in her testimony that due the Armenian armed forces’ attacks on August 23, 1993, she was forcibly expelled from the village of Dag Tumas in the Jabrayil district, and Sujahat Haziyeva from the village of Khalafli in the district on the same day. Rukhsara Piriyeva and Vugar Hajiyev also mentioned being forcibly expelled from Jabrayil in 1993.

Surayya Niftaliyeva noted that she was forcibly displaced from Zangilan district, where she lived, with her family members, including two infants, in 1993, due to the attacks by Armenian armed forces.

Khuraman Muradova said that she was forcibly displaced due to the attack by the Armenian armed forces on Lachin district in 1992. Her house was burned down. She settled in the territory of the Goranboy district, in the village of Balligaya, after that. She added that the Armenian armed forces attacked that village on August 28, 1992, and committed a massacre. 24 Azerbaijanis, including a 6-month-old baby and a person over 100 years old, were killed at that time.

In her testimony, Kifayat Guliyeva spoke about the oppression of Azerbaijanis by Armenians in the village of Vangli in the Aghdara district, where she lived in the 1990s. “The goal was to make Azerbaijanis leave their homes,” the victim stated explaining that she, her relatives, and other Azerbaijanis were displaced from their homes.

Naila Huseynova testified that her husband was killed on May 20, 1991, noting that she was forcibly displaced from the Chullu village of Jabrayil district.

Oktay Amirov, Dilafat Rasulov, Goshgar Rasulov, Salim Mehdiyev, Parviz Pashayev stated that they were forcibly displaced from the Lachin district in 1992, Mahammad Aghamaliyev from Kalbajar in 1992, Niyazi Mammadov, Mahir Aslanov from the Aghdara district in 1992, and Tarana Yusifova from the Aghdam district in 1993 due to the Armenian armed forces’ attacks.

The victims also answered questions from the defendants, including Levon Mnatsakanyan, David Babayan, the defendants' defense attorneys, and their own representatives.

The victims also answered questions from the accused, including Levon Mnatsakanyan, David Babayan, the defendants' attorneys, and their representatives.

The trial will continue on August 21.

Fifteen defendants of Armenian origin are accused in the criminal case concerning numerous crimes committed during the aggressive war waged by the Armenian state - including the aforementioned criminal association - on the territory of Azerbaijan, in violation of domestic and international legal norms. These crimes were committed for the purpose of military aggression against Azerbaijan and were carried out under the direct leadership and participation of the Armenian state, officials of its state institutions, its armed forces, and illegal armed formations, through their written and verbal orders, instructions, and guidelines; material, technical, and personnel support; centralized management; as well as under strict control and under the leadership and direct or indirect participation of Robert Sedraki Kocharyan, Serzh Azati Sargsyan, Vazgen Mikaeli Manukyan, Vazgen Zaveni Sargsyan, Samvel Andraniki Babayan, Vitali Mikaeli Balasanyan, Zori Hayki Balayan, Seyran Musheghi Ohanyan, Arshavir Surenovich Garamyan, Monte Charles Melkonyan, and others.

The following individuals - 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, and Melikset Vladimiri Pashayan - are being charged under the following articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan: Article 100 (planning, preparing, initiating, and waging a war of aggression); Article 102 (attacking persons or organizations enjoying international protection); Article 103 (genocide); Article 105 (extermination of the population); Article 106 (enslavement); Article 107 (deportation or forced displacement of population); Article 109 (persecution); Article 110 (enforced disappearance of persons); Article 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to international law); Article 113 (torture); Article 114 (mercenary service); Article 115 (violation of the laws and customs of warfare); Article 116 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict); Article 118 (military robbery); Article 120 (intentional murder); Article 192 (illegal entrepreneurship); Article 214 (terrorism); Article 214-1 (financing terrorism); Article 218 (creation of a criminal organization); Article 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, and possession of weapons, ammunition, explosives, and devices); Article 270-1 (acts threatening aviation security); Article 277 (assassination of a state official or public figure); Article 278 (forcible seizure and retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state); Article 279 (creation of armed groups not provided for by law); and additional articles.