Karabakh separatists read out indictment

On 7 February, the trial of Karabakh separatist leaders continued in Baku court complex.

During the session the reading of the indictment was continued.

State prosecutor Tarana Mammadova stated that as a result of aggressive war conducted by the armed forces and illegal armed formations of Armenia 12 cities, 18 settlements, 895 villages, in total 925 settlements, which are sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, were occupied and kept under occupation for many years.

The country suffered damage to 37168 units of property in private and state ownership to the amount of over AZN 19 billion.

Further, other state prosecutors announced information on the damage caused specifically to cities and districts.

In addition, about 700 historical and cultural monuments were attacked, completely or partially destroyed, burnt and looted.

As a result, the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani people suffered material damage totalling more than AZN 906 million.

At the same time, taking into account the funds spent on ensuring the social welfare and living conditions of civilians displaced as a result of the occupation of the sovereign territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a total of more than AZN 8.8 billion in material damage was caused to the state of Azerbaijan.

At the same time, taking into account the funds spent on ensuring social welfare and living conditions of civilians who became internally displaced persons, the material damage to the state of Azerbaijan amounted to more than AZN 8.8 billion.

Then the state prosecutor Vusal Abdullayev proceeded to ‘declare the facts of genocide committed against the Azerbaijani people during the war of aggression, as well as complete or partial extermination of the population without signs of genocide’.

In particular, 613 people were deliberately killed in Khojaly.

Mass murders were committed with sophisticated cruelty - by scalping Azerbaijanis, cutting off ears, noses, genitals, gouging out eyes, burning alive, cutting off heads as an act of sacrifice on the graves of persons of Armenian origin.

Women, the elderly and children were subjected to brutal torture.

The court session will continue on 11 February.

It ought to be noted that the defendants in this case are former leaders of the separatist regime - Arkady Ghukasyan, Araik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Davit Babayan, Leva Mnatsakanyan, Davit Manukyan, Garik Martirosyan, Melikset Pashayan, Davit Allakhverdyan, Gurgen Stepanyan, Levon Balayan, Madat Babayan, Vasiliy Beglaryan, Eric Gazaryan.

All of them are accused of committing grave crimes against the statehood of Azerbaijan (waging a war of aggression, separatism, genocide, creation of illegal armed formations, deportation, murder, torture, etc.).

The offences were committed between 1987 and 2023. 1,389 criminal cases have been merged into one proceeding.

All of them face life imprisonment.

The above-mentioned persons were detained in Karabakh during the anti-terrorist operation in September 2023. The trial will be held at the Baku Judicial Centre.

The case of the former ‘state minister’ of the separatist regime, billionaire Ruben Vardanyan, is being investigated separately. The next hearing in his case will be held on 10 February.