Baku: Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Levon Mnatsakanyan have delivered their final statements in court during an open session at the Baku Military Court. The session is part of the ongoing criminal cases against several Armenian citizens, including Arayik Harutyunyan and David Babayan, accused of serious crimes such as war crimes, terrorism, and genocide related to Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the hearing was chaired by Judge Zeynal Agayev, with judges Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev also presiding. The defendants, alongside their defense lawyers, attended the session, which also saw the presence of victims, their representatives, and state prosecutors. Judge Agayev announced that the session was dedicated to the defendants' final statements.

Levon Mnatsakanyan, one of the defendants, used his final statement to deny the charges against him, stating his innocence and retracting previous statements made during the investigation. He urged the court to consider only his trial statements and submitted a 51-page document for the court records.

Following him, Arkadi Ghukasyan expressed gratitude towards his legal team and contested the prosecution's evidence, particularly disputing the criminal characterization of his work at the 'Soviet Karabakh' newspaper. Ghukasyan emphasized his departure from politics in 2007, maintaining his innocence concerning the charges.

Bako Sahakyan also spoke, commending his defense team and challenging the prosecution's portrayal of the defendants as a criminal organization. He addressed his involvement in the occupation of Shusha, acknowledging this aspect of his past actions.

The court proceedings are set to continue, with fifteen defendants facing charges under multiple articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code. These include planning and waging a war of aggression, genocide, and terrorism, among other severe allegations. The charges allege a coordinated effort by Armenian state officials and military forces, implicating high-profile figures such as Robert Sedraki Kocharyan and Serzh Azati Sargsyan.

As the trial progresses, all eyes remain on the Baku Military Court as it navigates through the complex legal and historical issues underlying this significant case.