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, was continued on March 10, Report informs.
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 hearings were the accused persons and their defense attorneys, some of the victims, their legal successors and representatives, as well as prosecutors in charge of public prosecution.
The court hearing continued with questioning of the accused persons.
First, the accused Arkadi Ghukasyan was questioned by prosecutors supporting the state prosecution.
In his answers to the questions, Ghukasyan stated that he worked as a deputy editor at the Soviet Armenia newspaper and said: "I wrote on topics related to the Karabakh conflict. The newspaper was published until 1991. After that time, the newspaper was not published."
Ghukasyan emphasized that he condemned illegal actions and stated: "In my opinion, a person who kills a woman, child, or elderly person is not human. It's not about their nationality."
He said that he studied in Russian at school in Karabakh, but Armenian schools were more numerous than Azerbaijani and Russian-language schools. Ghukasyan admitted that there had never been any problems with the Armenian language in Karabakh.
In response to the prosecutor's question about the "greater Armenia" ideology, Ghukasyan called this idea a fairy tale and noted: "I haven't believed in fairy tales about 'greater Armenia' for a long time. The idea of 'greater Armenia' is a fairy tale. I live in the real world, I have never approached this realistically."
He said that he met Zori Balayan, whose name appears as a member of the criminal group in the case, in 1993, and Vazgen Manukyan in 1994. He stated that Robert Kocharyan was his superior.
Ghukasyan, while answering the questions of prosecutors supporting the state accusation, also spoke about the former president of the Republic of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan.
He stated that the main speaker at the illegal rallies held in Karabakh in 1988 was Arkadi Manucharov, saying: "I don't remember Robert Kocharyan's speeches. Since we received education in Russian, like me, he also had problems with literary Armenian language. It's possible that he was one of the organizers of the rally, because he was a member of the 'Krunk' organization."
Later, Bako Sahakyan's lawyer appealed to the court requesting conditions for a confidential meeting with the person whose rights he was defending. The court granted the defense's petition and announced a recess during the court session for the confidential meeting.
After the recess, the accused persons Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Ishkhanyan, and Davit Babayan were questioned about the illegal armed formations created by Armenia in the territory of the Armenian SSR and in Karabakh, which was part of the Azerbaijan SSR, operating under Armenia's support and leadership, forming the core of a criminal community.
They were asked about their connections with Armenia, its leadership and high-ranking officials, their activities, their participation in these formations' activities, as well as the criminal ideology of "Greater Armenia," the goals of the "Miatsum" and "Karabakh" movements, and the functions, activities, and ideas defended by the "Krunk" organization.
Questions were also asked about the persons leading these movements and their connections with the accused, whether the accused participated in illegal rallies organized in Karabakh, who spoke at those rallies, and how people were involved or invited to these rallies.
The accused Bako Sahakyan, in response to the prosecutors' questions, admitted that the first call for armament in Karabakh was at illegal rallies.
He noted that there was armament in villages and cities, stating: "Some of the weapons were from deployed Soviet military units. In addition, there was a supply of weapons from Armenia. These were the main directions regarding armament."
Subsequently, the accused Davit Ishkhanyan answered the prosecutors' questions.
Another accused, Arayik Harutyunyan, in response to the prosecutors' questions, said that he was 14 years old when the Karabakh events began. He stated that he did not participate in illegal rallies because he was a schoolboy, but he was aware of and knew the people who spoke at those rallies, saying: "I know that writers named Gurgen Gabrelyan, Vartan Akopyan, and Harachi Beglaryan made speeches at rallies. Among the writers, Gurgen Gabrelyan was a children's poet, that's what I knew."
In his answers, Harutyunyan noted that he had heard of some illegal armed formations and talked about the "Arabo" battalion: "From the list you mentioned, I had heard of about 30 percent. I knew about 'Arabo,' 'Arami,' 'Great Tigran,' 'Sasuntsi David.' I knew they participated in some combat operations. I know more about 'Arabo.' One of its commanders was named Manvel. My contact with him began after 2020."
The accused Davit Babayan, in response to the prosecutors' questions, stated that the "army" of the self-proclaimed regime was composed of various armed formations, but he himself did not participate in those processes. He said he met Arayik Harutyunyan in 1990.
During today's court session, the accused were also questioned by representatives of the victims and their own lawyers.
The next court session is scheduled for March 13. The next process will continue with questioning of the accused persons.
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.