Announcement of conclusive part of indictment of Armenians accused of committing war crimes completed

The court hearing on criminal cases 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 preparation and conduct of aggressive war, genocide, violation of laws and customs of war, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, forceful seizure of power, forceful retention of power and numerous other crimes within the framework of Armenia's military aggression, continued on February 18.

Report informs that during the court session held at the Baku Military Court, presided over by judge Zeynal Aghayev, with judges Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), each accused person was provided with an interpreter in a language they speak, as well as lawyers for their defense.

The court hearing was attended by some of the victims, their legal successors and representatives, prosecutors defending the state prosecution, as well as Rufat Mammadov, the Head of the Cabinet of Ministers Office, on behalf of the Azerbaijani state.

In the current court session, the indictment announced episodes related to separate criminal acts committed during the aggressive war conducted by the Armenian state and the aforementioned criminal organization, including under the direct and indirect participation and leadership of Robert Kocharyan, Serzh Sargsyan, Vazgen Manukyan, Vazgen Sargsyan, Samvel Babayan, Vitaly Balasanyan, Zori Balayan, Seyran Ohanyan, Arshavir Karamyan, Monte Melkonian and others, who created military aggression against Azerbaijan in contradiction to domestic and international legal norms, under the direct leadership and participation of the Armenian state, its state institutions' officials, military forces and illegal armed formations, based on verbal and written assignments, instructions and directives, with material, technical and personnel support, centralized management, as well as under strict control on Azerbaijan's territory. The amount of material damage caused to Azerbaijan's military arsenal and civilian infrastructure was also announced.

State prosecutors Fuad Musayev and Vusal Abdullayev announced a portion of the indictment concerning individual criminal acts committed during the aggressive war and the involvement of the accused persons in these crimes.

It was mentioned that in 1988-2024, a total of 18,850 people were deliberately killed, including 3,493 civilians and 15,357 military personnel, and attempted murder was committed against 56,268 people, including 4,435 civilians and 51,803 military personnel, by inflicting various degrees of bodily injuries.

Then, state prosecutor Tarana Mammadova enumerated several specific criminal acts committed during the aggressive war.

It was noted that from February 1988, at least 17 teaching staff working as teachers at the Khankandi Pedagogical Institute in Khankandi city, as well as at least 17 Azerbaijani students receiving higher education, were forcibly expelled from the institute en masse specifically because they were Azerbaijanis.

On February 20, 1988 - just one day after the decision to transfer the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region from Azerbaijan SSR to Armenian SSR was issued and sent to the USSR Supreme Soviet, that is, on February 21, 1988, as a result of continuous gunfire in the Asgaran district, Ahmad Ahmadov, a civilian resident of Khankandi city, was wounded by gunshot.

On July 9, 1988, based on information received by police authorities, homemade weapons and explosive devices, as well as hand grenades, manufactured by various devices in an artisanal way at the Capacitor Factory located in Khankandi city during March-April of that year, were discovered and seized.

On September 20, 1988, as a result of an attack using firearms and rifles on the Gunashli village of Khojavand district, Mahammadali Balakishiyev, a civilian resident of that village, was deliberately killed.

Head of the repair and construction department of the Karabakh Silk Factory, Slavik Hayrapetyan, secretary of the factory's party committee Robert Kocharyan, chief engineer Vladimir Simonyan, chairman of the trade union organization Bella Mesropyan and others, in September 1988, forcibly deprived Azerbaijani employees of the Karabakh Silk Factory of their labor rights by mass expulsion from their workplace through denial of access and intimidation.

In order to record and convey to the world community the numerous crimes committed by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, journalist Chingiz Mustafayev, head of 215 KL studio of Azerbaijan State Television, who was sent to Nakhchivanli village of Khojaly district on June 15, 1992, was deliberately killed around 11:00 (GMT+4) when shrapnel from a mortar shell that exploded near him struck various parts of his body while filming.

On July 4, 2017, fire was opened from armored vehicles towards undefended territories, residential areas, and civilians in the direction of Alkhanli village of the Fuzuli district. As a result of the explosion of a 73-millimeter fragmentation grenade model OQ-9M in the territory of Alkhanli village, peaceful village residents Sahiba Allahverdiyeva and minor Zahra Guliyeva, born in 2016, were deliberately killed after receiving various bodily injuries.

On July 14, 2020, heavy artillery fire was opened from positions located in the Movses village of the Berd region of Armenia's Tavush province and from the captured combat position towards a shelter established near the corresponding combat post of a military unit of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry in Agdam village of Tovuz district. As a result of the shell hitting and exploding in the shelter, Major General Polad Hashimov, Colonel Ilgar Mirzayev, Major Namig Ahmadov, Major Anar Novruzov, and Warrant Officer Yashar Babayev were deliberately killed.

On October 2, 2020, as a result of one of the numerous shells fired from Grad (BM-21) multiple rocket launcher systems and other heavy weapons from positions in occupied Aghdara, Aghdam districts and other territories towards civilian-populated areas of Tartar district where no military operations were conducted and no military facilities were located, a shell exploded on the road in front of the administrative building of Tartar district prosecutor's office. As a result, Ozal Hasanov, a senior investigator of Sumgayit city prosecutor's office who was dispatched to Tartar district prosecutor's office as a member of the investigation teams established for criminal cases related to crimes committed by Armenian armed forces, suffered severe injuries to his health.

Later speaking, the Chief Prosecutor's senior assistant Vusal Aliyev announced that from the early 1990s until September 20, 2023, as a result of armed attacks carried out using various large and small caliber weapons, ammunition, artillery installations, and rocket fire, military property worth more than 908 million manats ($534.1 million on Feb.18, 2025) belonging to the Azerbaijan Armed Forces' defense arsenal was destroyed, rendered unusable, or captured.

From the beginning of 2001 until the end of May 2021, the Iskander-M operational-tactical ballistic missile, Tochka-U tactical missile complex, 9K33 OSA self-propelled anti-aircraft missile system, S-8 unguided aircraft rocket, Smerch, TOS-1A Solntsepek systems, Igla-S anti-aircraft missile complexes, Konkurs and Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, RPG-26 grenade launchers and other large-caliber firearms, their component parts, combat ammunition, explosive materials and devices were illegally obtained and secretly transported from the Russian Federation to the Republic of Armenia, and from there were placed in illegally constructed engineering fortification positions in the previously occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan as a result of the military aggression of the Republic of Armenia, and were used in the aggressive war against Azerbaijan.

At the same time, as a result of the aggressive war, material damage of more than 5.2 billion manats ($3.06 billion on Feb.18, 2025) was caused to civilian infrastructure during the First Karabakh War and subsequent periods, as well as during the Second Karabakh War.

As a result of the aggressive war, material damage of more than 100 billion manats ($58.82 billion on Feb.18, 2025) was caused to the Republic of Azerbaijan's civilian infrastructure, economy, ecology, defense arsenal, and other areas.

In conclusion, the Prosecutor General's Assistant for Special Assignments, Tugay Rahimli, announced the relevant articles of the Criminal Code under which the accused persons Arkadi Gukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Davit Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, Davit Manukyan, Madat Babayan, Melikset Pashayan, Garik Martirosyan, Levon Balayan, Gurgen Stepanyan, Vasili Beglaryan, Erik Gazaryan, and Davit Allahverdiyan are charged.

With this, the announcement of the conclusive part of the indictment on the case has been completed.

Later, the presiding judge Zeynal Aghayev explained the essence of each charge brought against the defendants Arayik Harutyunyan and Arkadi Ghukasyan, the legal qualification of the actions, allegedly committed by them, the punishment provided by criminal law for these actions, and the rights possessed by the defendants, as well as addressed questions regarding whether they plead guilty or not.

Arayik Harutyunyan and Arkadi Ghukasyan addressed the court stating that they wanted to have a confidential meeting with their defenders, after which they would answer the questions.

The next court hearing is scheduled for February 20.

The next court hearing will continue with explaining to each accused person the essence of each charge brought against them, the legal qualification of the acts attributed to them, and the punishments provided by criminal law for those acts, as well as clarifying questions about whether they plead guilty or not.

A court hearing is being held on the criminal case of ethnic Armenians accused of committing war crimes.

According to Report, the process is taking place at the Baku Court Complex under the chairmanship of Zeynal Aghayev, judge of the Baku Military Court.

During the previous session, prosecutors announced the indictment.

The 15 persons of Armenian origin are accused of 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 former self-proclaimed "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" established in Azerbaijan's occupied territories and its illegal armed formations.

The defendants are Arkadi Ghukasyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Davit Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, Davit Manukyan, Garik Martirosyan, Melikset Pashayan, Davit Allahverdyan, Gurgen Stepanyan, Levon Balayan, Madat Babayan, Vasili Beglaryan, and Erik Gazaryan.