An open court proceeding has begun today regarding criminal cases involving crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including aggressive warfare, genocide, forced displacement, persecution, torture, military looting, and other illegal acts committed against Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani people by the Armenian state and its armed forces, including the self-proclaimed "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" established in Azerbaijan's occupied territories and its illegal armed formations.
According to Report, this process will primarily serve to establish through judicial means Armenia's state responsibility as an occupying, aggressive country and its other illegal actions.
At the preparatory session held at the Baku Military Court located in the Baku Court Complex, presided over by judges Zeynal Agayev, Jamal Ramazanov, and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), the accused persons were provided with Armenian language interpreters and defense lawyers.
First, the interpreters were announced, and the requirements of legislation, including their rights and duties, were explained to them. The accused persons were asked if they had any objections to the interpreters or other participants in the process.
Then, the defense counsel for the accused persons was announced. Six prosecution employees participated as state prosecutors, and Rufat Mammadov, Head of the Cabinet of Ministers Office, participated as a victim on behalf of the Azerbaijani state.
It was reported that there are more than 531,000 victims and their representatives in the criminal case.
The judge noted that the rights and duties of the accused persons were explained to them in Armenian.
Additionally, their rights and duties were explained again during the court session.
Then a break was announced in the court trial.
After the break, Harutyunyan addressed the court saying he wanted to make a statement. The judge gave him the floor.
Harutyunyan said he regrets his statement about the missile strikes on Ganja during the 44-day war: "There is an opinion among Azerbaijani people that I gave this order. This decision was not made by me. Yes, I had a statement about this incident. Now I regret this statement and apologize. I didn't have such a right, such authority, or even the opportunity to express an opinion. I explained in my testimony during the investigation why I made this statement at the time."
Finally, the court proceedings were postponed until January 21.
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A preliminary hearing was held in the trial of Armenian citizen Ruben Vardanyan, who is charged with torture, mercenary activities, violation of laws and customs of war, financing terrorism, and other articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
At the preliminary open session, held in the administrative building of the Baku Military Court at the Baku Judicial Complex with the same panel of judges, Ruben Vardanyan's personal information was verified. Ruben Vardanyan was provided with his chosen defense counsel and a Russian language interpreter.
The presiding judge Zeynal Agayev explained the legal requirements to Ruben Vardanyan, including his rights and obligations as the accused, as well as his right to protest, and then asked if Vardanyan had any petitions.
Vardanyan and his defense counsel, providing legal assistance under contract, filed two petitions. The first petition was related to combining Vardanyan's criminal case with the case against 15 persons of Armenian origin accused of committing serious crimes against the Azerbaijani people, while the second requested additional time for the accused to review the criminal case materials.
The prosecutor representing the state objection opposed the petition to combine the criminal cases and asked the court to reject it while supporting the petition for additional time to review the case materials. According to Azerbaijan's criminal procedure legislation, combining criminal cases during court proceedings is not provided for, so the court rejected this petition.
Although Vardanyan was given sufficient time during preliminary investigation to review the case materials in a language he understands and prepare his defense, the court granted his request for an additional 10 days to review the case materials. The prosecution did not object to providing the accused additional time to review the case materials. The preliminary hearing will continue on January 27.
Ruben Vardanyan has been charged with committing acts under Article 100 (planning, preparation, initiating or waging aggressive war), 107 (deportation or forced relocation of population), 109 (persecution), 112 (deprivation of liberty in violation of international law), 113 (use of torture), 114 (mercenary activities), 115 (violation of laws and customs of war), 116 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflicts), 214 (terrorism), 214-1 (financing of terrorism) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Additionally, he is charged with committing acts under Article 218 (organizing a criminal community (criminal organization)), 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of weapons, their components, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices), 270-1 (acts threatening aviation security), 278 (forcible seizure of power or forcible retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional order of the state), 279 (creation of armed formations or groups not provided for by legislation), 318 (illegal crossing of the state border of the Republic of Azerbaijan) and other articles of this code.
















