Baku: Forcibly displaced persons, including those injured and subjected to torture in captivity due to the Armenian armed forces' attacks on Aghdam, Lachin, Gubadli, and Fuzuli, have testified in court. A public court hearing continued regarding the criminal cases against citizens of the Republic of Armenia, including Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and others. They are accused of committing crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including the preparation and conduct of an aggressive war, genocide, and other crimes resulting from Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the trial, held at the Baku Military Court under Judge Zeynal Agayev's chairmanship, with judges Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev, ensured that each accused person was provided with a translator in their preferred language and defense lawyers. The hearing was attended by the accused, their defense attorneys, victims, their legal heirs, representatives, and prosecutors defending the state's accusations.
Judge Zeynal Aghayev introduced the judicial panel, prosecutors, translators, and others to the victims participating in the trial for the first time, explaining their rights and obligations as stipulated by law. The hearing continued with the testimonies of the victims.
Victim Mahbuba Babirkhanova stated that she became an internally displaced person (IDP) due to the Armenian armed forces' attacks on Aghdam district in 1993. Elmira Hasanova noted that she and her family were forcibly displaced from Aghdam district in 1993, adding that her brother was martyred in Aghdara in 1992. Similarly, Saadat Hashimova and Arzu Badalova recounted their experiences of being forcibly displaced from Aghdam district in 1993.
Other victims, including Basira Soltanova and Jeyran Mukhtarova, shared their harrowing experiences of displacement and loss due to the attacks. Mukhtar Hashimov detailed the extensive shelling and destruction in Lachin district, resulting in his forced displacement. Fikrat Firidov and Adil Alaskarov provided further testimonies about the violence and atrocities they witnessed.
The trial will continue with more testimonies and deliberations, as fifteen defendants of Armenian origin face charges for numerous crimes committed during the aggressive war waged by the Armenian state on Azerbaijan's territory. These crimes were committed with the direct leadership and participation of the Armenian state and various officials, including Robert Sedraki Kocharyan, Serzh Azati Sargsyan, and others. The accused face charges under multiple articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including planning and waging a war of aggression, genocide, terrorism, and more.