Stage of examining document starts in trial of persons of Armenian descent

The review hearing of 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, genocide, violation of the laws and regulations of war, as well as terrorism, financing terrorism, forcible seizure of power, forcible retention of power and numerous other crimes as a result of Armenia's military aggression, continued on March 6.

Report informs that at the trial held at the Baku Military Court, chaired by judges Zeynal Agayev and composed of Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), each of the accused was provided with an interpreter in their language, as well as lawyers for their defense.

The defendants and their defense attorneys, some of the victims, their legal heirs and representatives, as well as prosecutors defending the state prosecution, attended the meeting.

The presiding judge of the court session first informed the accused Bako Sahakyan about the appointment of an additional lawyer at the state expense to protect his rights and introduced his defense lawyer to him. Bako Sahakyan stated that he did not object to the new defense lawyer.

When starting the interrogation, the chairman of the court session suggested that each of the accused testify on the charges against them and other circumstances important for a comprehensive, complete and objective consideration of the charges.

At the current court session, the accused Davit Manukyan, Gurgen Stepanyan, Davit Allahverdiyan, Melikset Pashayan, Garik Matrosyan, Levon Balayan, and Madat Babayan testified.

The defendant *Davit Manukyan, who was born in Armenia, a citizen of the Republic of Armenia, a military serviceman of the Armenian Armed Forces, served in the highest military rank of Major General, worked as the "1st Deputy Commander" in the illegal armed formations of the so-called regime, the Chief of the Personnel Department at the General Staff of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, and a corps commander, confessed in his testimony that he fought against the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. He stated that he was a military man, that he served in Armenia, and that he also fought against the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan as part of the Armenian army during the First and Second Karabakh Wars, and said: "I did not have a service position or duty during the first war. I did have one during the second war. But all this stemmed from my service obligations. In particular, planning the war... It is clearly written in my obligations and duties: 'To engage in combat training.' There is no planning of the war there. This is not understandable, it is irrelevant."

He recalled that he was a private soldier during the First Karabakh War and said: "I was a private soldier, I participated in combat operations. On February 28, 1993, I was wounded in the direction of Aghdara. In 1994, I returned to service... I continued to serve after the war, and I received the rank of officer."

The accused emphasized that he did not participate in the meetings of the so-called "Security Council" of the so-called regime and said: "I did not participate in the meetings as a main member or observer, and I did not know that they were held."

He also stated that his car was hit by a Bayraktar UAV during the 44-day war and noted: "My driver was injured, but I was not injured because I was 20 meters away."

Davit Manukyan noted that he retired from military service in December 2021 and handed over his post in January 2022, as well as that citizens of the Republic of Armenia served in the "army" of the so-called regime, and pointed out: "Let me go back a bit. After 2020, there were quite a few cuts in the army. They also reduced the division to the brigade level."

He also said that there were approximately 10,000 military personnel in Karabakh during 2020-2023. In addition, he said that he cooperated very well with the investigators during the investigation.

The accused also spoke about the weapons found in his house: “I had two guns in my apartment in Khankandi. One was a pistol, the other was a shotgun. Both weapons are registered with the Police Department of the Republic of Armenia.

The accused Gurgen Stepanyan stated that he had undergone military service in Hadrut in 2005-2007, and in 2023 he was taken to a combat post, saying: “On September 19, we started running from the post to Khankandi, we met your servicemen on the way, we surrendered to them.”

The accused Davit Allahverdiyan stated in his testimony that he had answered all the questions during the preliminary investigation and would answer them during the court investigation. "The attitude towards me has been humane and good, for which I am grateful. Now I am ready to answer all questions," he added.

Another defendant, Melikset Pashayan, stated in his testimony that he was familiar with the charges. He said that he served in the Soviet army and that in 1993 he received a call from the so-called “military commissariat” of the so-called regime to participate in the battles against Azerbaijan, saying: “Until the ceasefire in 1994, I only defended positions in Aghdam. During the 44-day war in 2020, we decided with the boys in the village and went to defend the positions. We defended the positions for three to four weeks.”

Melikset Pashayan stated that he was wounded in the finger during anti-terrorist measures carried out by the Azerbaijani Army on September 19-20, 2023, and then was captured.

Defendant Garik Matrosyan admitted in his testimony that he was at the front posts in the Aghdam region during the First Karabakh War and said: “We were in the Askaran district during the Second Karabakh War. I was there during the 44-day war as well.”

Another accused, Levon Balayan, testified that he served in the "army" of the so-called regime controlled by the Armenian state during the 44-day Patriotic War and anti-terrorist operations.

The accused Madat Babayan admitted that he was in Khojaly in 1992. He emphasized: “I was in Khojaly in 1992. They called me and I went. They said there are bodies here, let’s bury them. I took them and showed them where they were.”

Then the accused Bako Sahakyan asked for the floor and made a short speech. He spoke about the work he had done as the “president” of the so-called regime operating under the leadership and control of Armenia. He also noted that he had been given ample opportunities to answer the questions asked during the preliminary investigation.

After that, the stage of examining the documents began in court.

Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor General Vusal Aliyev, who defended the state prosecution, presented historical documents confirming that Karabakh is a sovereign territory of Azerbaijan and Armenia’s intention to annex Karabakh to its territory, namely:

- Resolution of the Regional Council of People's Deputies of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast dated February 20, 1988 "On the Appeal to the Supreme Soviets of the Azerbaijan and Armenian SSRs on the Transfer of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast from the Azerbaijan SSR to the Armenian SSR";

- Resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR dated June 15, 1988 "On the Removal of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast from the Azerbaijan SSR to the Armenian SSR and the Appeal to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR";

- Resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated July 18, 1988 "On the Contradiction of the Resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR on the Transfer of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast to the Armenian SSR and the Petition of the Regional Council of People's Deputies of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast dated February 20, 1988 to the Constitution of the USSR";

- Article 78 of the Constitution of the USSR;

- The decision of the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated August 30, 1991, on the declaration on the restoration of the state independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan;

- The “Decision and Declaration on the Proclamation of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” dated September 2, 1991, and other documents were presented.

After that, Assistant to the Prosecutor General for Special Assignments Tuqay Rahimli and Public Prosecutor Fuad Musayev presented documents on the establishment, goals, activities and leaders of up to 40 illegal armed groups, including “Big Tigran”, “David Sasunski”, “Archiv”, “Dashnaksakaner”, “Shusha”, “Sasun”, “Maral”, “Aghdara Division”, “Khankendi Regiment”, “Sisiyan Division”, “Hadrut Division”, “Sasna Srer Division”, “Xaçlılar”, “Erkrap-Konulluller Oggesi”, “Malatiya”, “Arabo”, “Mush” and other groups, which formed the core of the criminal organization created by Armenia and operated under its leadership in the territory of the Armenian SSR and in Karabakh, which is part of the Azerbaijan SSR.

Then, the accused Arkady Ghukasyan was asked questions about his attitude to the studied documents, the leaders and participants of the mentioned illegal armed formations, his relations with Armenia, his activities, his participation in the activities of these formations, his arrest in connection with his activities in the “Krung” organization established in Armenia and in Karabakh, the sovereign territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the criminal ideologies of “Greater Armenia” and “Miatsum”.

The accused stated that he did not participate in the activities of the “Krung” organization, that his arrest at that time was not due to his activities in this organization, that the names of the leaders of the listed illegal armed formations are known to everyone, including that the names of these persons are mentioned in the documents examined in court today, but that he will not mention those names.

The next court session was scheduled for March 10.

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.

15:01

During the trial held at the Baku Military Court, Davit Manukyan, who was a military officer of the Armenian Armed Forces and served with the highest military rank of Major General, admitted that he fought against the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

According to Report, in his testimony, Manukyan stated that he was a military officer, served in Armenia, and also fought against the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan as the officer of the Armenian army during the First and Second Karabakh Wars.

Manukyan stated that the firearms that he was carrying and that were later found in his home are registered with the Police Department of the Republic of Armenia.

He also stated that his car was hit by a Bayraktar UAV during the 44-day war and said: "My driver was injured, but I was not injured because I was 20 meters away."

Davit Manukyan also said that he cooperated very well with investigators during the investigation.

The accused Davit Allahverdiyan, in his testimony, said that he had answered all the questions during the preliminary investigation. "The attitude towards me was humane and good, for which I am grateful. Now I am ready to answer all the questions," he added.