Baku: The Baku Military Court held an open hearing regarding criminal cases against several Armenian citizens accused of committing serious crimes against Azerbaijan, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court proceedings, presided over by Judge Zeynal Agayev, involved defendants such as Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, and Bako Sahakyan, among others.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, these individuals are charged with various offenses stemming from Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan. The crimes include the preparation and conduct of aggressive war, genocide, and terrorism, as well as forcible seizure and retention of power. The court provided interpreters and defense representatives for each accused, and the proceedings were attended by victims, their legal heirs, and state prosecutors.

Documents presented in court detailed several incidents, including the firing of rockets from Armenia’s Ararat district toward Sadarak on March 24, 1990, and the shelling of villages in the Tovuz district, resulting in injuries to civilians. Another document described the attack on the village of Garmachataq in March 1990, where ten houses were burned and Vali Zeynalov, a state law department head, was killed.

Further evidence included an attack on a convoy near the village of Qozlukorpu in July 1990, where a person was killed and others injured. The court also heard about the shelling of Sadarak, hostage-taking incidents, and various armed attacks resulting in deaths and injuries.

The session detailed killings and hostage situations, such as the killing of Azizov Donmaz Soltan oglu and others, and the capture of individuals like Aglarov Ashraf Salman oglu. The documents also covered an armed attack on a ‘GAZ-52’ vehicle in Lachin, which resulted in fatalities and injuries.

Other incidents included the explosion at a broadcasting facility in Khankendi, the bombing of a train carriage, and the destruction of infrastructure. The court was presented with evidence of the killing of several individuals, including Azerbaijani police officers, and the hostage-taking of civilians.

The court proceedings are set to continue, further examining these serious accusations and the evidence presented. The outcomes of these cases are awaited with significant interest given their implications for justice and accountability in the region.