Baku: A review session of the criminal case against Armenian citizens Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Davit Babayan, Lyova Mnatsakanyan, and others, who face charges of committing crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, and other serious offenses, continued on February 11. The session took place at the Baku Military Court in the Baku Court Complex, with Judge Zeynal Aghayev presiding, alongside a panel that includes Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev, with reserve judge Gunel Samadova.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the proceedings involved the participation of victims, their legal successors, representatives, and public prosecutors. The Head of the Cabinet of Ministers Executive Office, Rufat Mammadov, represented the victim on behalf of the Azerbaijani state. The trial proceeded with the reading of the indictment’s conclusion by the prosecutors.
The indictment outlined charges against the Armenian state and individuals, alleging their leadership and involvement in military aggression and acts of terror against Azerbaijan, violating both domestic and international laws. The Assistant to the Prosecutor General for Special Assignments, Tugay Rahimli, began detailing the extermination of the Azerbaijani population during the conflict.
The prosecution stated that the criminal organization, under Armenian state control, orchestrated the displacement of Azerbaijani residents from several districts and carried out systematic attacks to facilitate territorial occupation by Armenia. A total of 241 individuals were reported killed through various violent means.
Further, the indictment related to acts of terrorism was presented by Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor General, Vusal Aliyev. He detailed that between 1988 and 2023, a total of 449 people, including military personnel and civilians, were killed in 308 episodes of terrorism, with attempts made on the lives of 1,729 others. Specific incidents and episodes of terrorism were recounted by prosecutors Fuad Musayev, Vusal Abdullayev, and Tarana Mammadova.
Notable incidents highlighted included the attack on a ‘UAZ-469’ vehicle in 1991 and the downing of a helicopter in the same year, resulting in numerous deaths. The trial also examined the killing of an investigator in 2010 and the explosion involving a booby-trapped toy in 2011.
Prosecutor Mammadova also addressed crimes committed during the April battles of 2016, the Tovuz battles of 2020, and the Second Karabakh War. These events resulted in civilian casualties and significant material damage, with specific attacks on civilian areas and infrastructure using large-caliber weapons and rocket systems.
The ongoing trial scrutinizes the actions of 15 individuals, including Harutyunyan, Ghukasyan, and Sahakyan, charged under multiple articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code, encompassing acts of aggression, genocide, terrorism, and other offenses. The proceedings are set to continue on February 14.