Court hearings on the criminal case against citizens of the Republic of Armenia Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David 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 April 7, 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.
During the court process, prosecutors defending the state accusation first directed questions to the accused person, David Babayan.
While answering the questions of Tugay Rahimli, the special assignments assistant to the Prosecutor General, the accused confirmed that he had held various "responsible positions" in the so-called regime created in Azerbaijan's sovereign territory formerly occupied by Armenia, including "presidential advisor" and "foreign minister."
Babayan stated that while serving as the "foreign minister" of the so-called regime created in Azerbaijan's sovereign territories formerly occupied by Armenia, he traveled abroad as a citizen of the Republic of Armenia.
Noting that he traveled abroad with an Armenian passport, he said: "Certain individuals (referring to "officials" of the illegal; regime - ed.) also had diplomatic passports. Like our regular 'passports,' our 'diplomatic passports' were also from Armenia."
According to him, the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was informed about these trips.
In addition, David Babayan responded to questions about whether the illegal regime had "representative offices" in foreign countries by saying, "We had 'representative offices' in countries with large Armenian communities."
In response to questions from Vusal Aliyev, the senior assistant to the Prosecutor General, Babayan admitted that he was against the integration of Armenian residents settled in our sovereign territories formerly under Armenian occupation into Azerbaijan. He said that "integration was impossible."
Then, the head of the department of the State Prosecution Defense Department of the Prosecutor General's Office, Nasir Bayramov, recalled David Babayan's previous interview with the media.
In the interview, the accused person noted that he was against the integration of Armenian residents living in the then-occupied territories into Azerbaijan and mentioned the impossibility of Azerbaijanis and Armenians living together.
In response to the prosecutor's questions about the statements in the interview, Babayan said that he did not see the prospect of Azerbaijanis and Armenians living together and that integration was impossible. He stated that other accused persons - Arayik Harutyunyan, Ruben Vardanyan, as well as other "officials" of the so-called regime were also against integration.
"No 'official' saw the prospect of such integration," he emphasized.
In response to questions about his relationship with Ruben Vardanyan, David Babayan noted that he had known the latter since 2007-2008, that business relations developed later, and that Ruben Vardanyan was one of the important figures of the Armenian diaspora.
The accused person stated that the websites of the illegal regime's "institutions" in the territories of Azerbaijan that were once under occupation were registered with the ".am" domain of the Republic of Armenia.
He said that Armenian residents living in the territories of Azerbaijan that were once under occupation were engaged in ensuring the security of those websites, meaning they had the right to access sites belonging to the Republic of Armenia.
After this, Babayan answered questions from the defense and the lawyers of the victims.
Then the state prosecutor, Tarana Mammadova, addressed questions to the accused person, Madat Babayan. In his answers to the questions, he said that he served in Aghdara in the 1990s and stood at a post: "The leader of our group was Tarmazen Henrik. We were subordinate to him."
He also stated that he had a weapon on him when he was detained by Azerbaijani military personnel.
Then, the accused person, Garik Martirosyan, was asked questions by the state prosecutor, Vusal Abdullayev. In his answers to the questions, the accused emphasized that he joined the Armenian army in 1993 and participated in battles in the territories of Azerbaijan that were once under occupation - in the villages of Aghbulag in Asgaran district and Sarijali in Aghdam district, stating: "The armed group I joined was called the 'Asgaran Regiment', and its commander was Vitali Balasanyan."
In addition, the accused person said that in 1993, he participated in battles mainly in the directions of Aghdam and Aghdara as a shooter within the Armenian army, and was awarded the "For Bravery" medal by the "president" of the so-called regime.
In his answers to the questions of state prosecutor Fuad Musayev, he stated that during the 44-day war, he was in battles in Asgaran and was stationed at posts set up around the village.
The accused also confessed to firing from his "Kalashnikov" brand automatic rifle in the direction of Azerbaijani military positions.
The next court hearing is scheduled for April 10. The hearing will be continued with free statements 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.
A court hearing is underway on the criminal case of individuals of Armenian origin accused of committing war crimes.
Report informs that the trial is being held at the Baku Court Complex under the chairmanship of the judge of the Baku Military Court, Zeynal Aghayev.
In the previous trial, one of the accused, David Manukyan, answered the prosecutors' questions on episodes.
The 15 individuals of Armenian origin are accused of crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including waging an aggressive war, genocide, forced displacement of the population, persecution, torture, looting and other illegal acts committed against Azerbaijan and its people by the Armenian state and its armed forces, including the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" established by Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and its illegal armed formations.