Defendant’s testimony in preliminary investigation confirms Armenia’s continued looting in Khojaly from February 26 to March 8, 1992
Baku, September 4, AZERTAC
On September 4, at a court hearing in the Baku Military Court, the statement given by the accused, Madat Babayan, during the preliminary investigation was read aloud.
Part of his testimony during the preliminary investigation concerned the Khojaly genocide that took place in February 1992 and the events that followed.
M. Babayan noted in his testimony that on February 24, Arkadi Shirinyan, addressing the then 3rd Regiment, announced that the next day, February 25, 1992, at about midnight, they would attack and massacre the peaceful Azerbaijani population of Khojaly. They began to prepare for operations based on Commander Arkadi Shirinyan's directives.
Prior to the attack, the city of Khojaly was subjected to continuous shelling from artillery and multiple launch rocket systems located in the highlands in the direction of Khankendi, using cannons, mortars, and other projectiles. After about 30–40 minutes of continuous artillery, mortar, and BM-21 “Grad” system fire, they entered the city of Khojaly at around midnight on February 25–26.
Upon entering the town, they began shelling civilians encountered in Khojaly with automatic weapons, machine guns, and grenade launchers from both sides, and set houses ablaze. Some residents, barefoot and with infants in their arms, fled across the Gargar River near the town of Khojaly towards the nearby mountains and the village of Shelli in the Aghdam region.
The fleeing individuals were shot by other Armenian armed forces who had previously set up posts around the city to shoot, and the fleeing population was slaughtered. In the city of Khojaly, houses were looted and set ablaze, women were raped, people were subjected to numerous tortures, and tanks and combat vehicles ran over and crushed people.
M. Babayan, at that time, used machine guns indiscriminately against every individual, irrespective of their age or gender. Arkadi Shirinyan and other commanders gave a direct order to continue the special atrocities. In general, since the city of Khojaly was under siege for a long time, the residents could not leave the city, and during the attack, few managed to escape and survive.
The accused confessed that looting continued in Khojaly from February 26 to March 8, 1992.
Court proceedings are ongoing against Armenian nationals accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, aggression, terrorism, and violations of the laws and customs of war. The charges also include financing terrorism, violent seizure and retention of power, and other serious offenses.
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