Baku: The open court hearing session for criminal cases against citizens of the Republic of Armenia, including Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanian, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and others, who are accused of crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes-including the preparation and conduct of aggressive war, genocide, violation of the laws and customs of war-as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, forcible seizure of power, forcible retention of power, and numerous other crimes resulting from Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan, continued on October 17.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, the court session was held at the Baku Military Court, chaired by Judge Zeynal Aghayev, with the panel consisting of Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova). Each accused individual was provided with an interpreter in their native language, as well as legal representatives for their defense.
The session was attended by the accused persons, their defenders, a portion of the victims, their legal heirs and representatives, as well as prosecutors defending the state prosecution. Judge Z. Aghayev stated that a group of people had applied to the court, noting that they would not be able to participate in the court proceedings for compelling reasons, and that their statements to the preliminary investigation should be examined in the trial. No one objected to the subsequent examination of their statements from the preliminary investigation. Z. Aghayev mentioned that those statements would be announced during subsequent sessions. Afterwards, the trial continued with the announcement of documents.
The court proceedings reviewed the documents based on the interviews of accused Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, David Manukyan, Davit Ishkhanian, and others to a number of internet resources, their statements and opinions expressed during the meetings, as well as the posts made on their social media accounts. According to the documents, those interviews, statements, speeches, and posts featured calls, spreading ethnic, national, and religious hostility between the peoples, and against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan, other criminal information, as well as incitements to war and terrorism.
Following the announcement of the documents, the presiding judge gave the floor to the accused to hear their views on the documents. Accused L.Mnatsakanyan requested to re-examine his interview with the Armenian journalist on the Jidir Duzu plain. Nasir Bayramov, Head of the Department for Defense of State Prosecution at the Prosecutor General’s Office, said that the interview had already been screened at one of the previous court hearings, during the interrogation of the accused, and that Levon Mnatsakanyan answered the questions from the state prosecutors about it. He emphasized that when the interview was reviewed during the previous hearing, Levon Mnatsakanyan expressed his opinions on the parts he disagreed with, which was also reflected in the minutes of the hearing. The public prosecutor added that there was no need to re-examine that evidence and requested the court to take the above into account.
Subsequently, Judge Zeynal Aghayev announced the part of the minutes of the hearing where the mentioned video interview was presented, and where Levon Mnatsakanyan raised his objection. Then, the defendant D. Ishkhanyan filed an appeal, claiming he had been given the opportunity to view the video recording of the interview with former Deputy Minister of Defense of Armenia Manvel Grigoryan. It should be noted that at the previous court hearing, D. Ishkhanyan had requested that the video recording to be loaded to the tablet provided to the defendants. D. Ishkhanyan also requested to familiarize himself with a copy of a secret document signed by Kamo Vardanyan, the ‘deputy chief of staff of the army’ of the so-called regime. A copy of the order was presented to the accused for familiarization.
Additionally, the defendants Davit Ishkhanyan and David Babayan stated that they did not agree with many of the details indicated in the announced documents. Defendant A. Ghukasyan requested the court to provide conditions for him to express his opinion on the announced documents at the next court hearing. Judge Zeynal Aghayev stated that the request would be taken into account. The court proceedings will continue on October 20.
Fifteen defendants of Armenian origin are accused in the criminal case concerning numerous crimes committed during the aggressive war waged by the Armenian state-including the aforementioned criminal association-on the territory of Azerbaijan, in violation of domestic and international legal norms. These crimes were committed for the purpose of military aggression against Azerbaijan and were carried out under the direct leadership and participation of the Armenian state, officials of its state institutions, its armed forces, and illegal armed formations, through their written and verbal orders, instructions, and guidelines; material, technical, and personnel support; centralized management; as well as under strict control and under the leadership and direct or indirect participation of Robert Sedraki Kocharyan, Serzh Azati Sargsyan, Vazgen Mikaeli Manukyan, Vazgen Zaveni Sargsyan, Samvel Andraniki Babayan, Vitali Mikaeli Balasanyan, Zori Hayki Balayan, Seyran Musheghi Ohanyan, Arshavir Surenovich Garamyan, Mo
nte Charles Melkonyan, and others.
The following individuals – Arayik Vladimiri Harutyunyan, Arkadi Arshaviri Ghukasyan, Bako Sahaki Sahakyan, Davit Rubeni Ishkhanyan, David Azatini Manukyan, David Klimi Babayan, Levon Henrikovich Mnatsakanyan, Vasili Ivani Beglaryan, Erik Roberti Ghazaryan, Davit Nelsoni Allahverdiyan, Gurgen Homeri Stepanyan, Levon Romiki Balayan, Madat Arakelovich Babayan, Garik Grigori Martirosyan, and Melikset Vladimiri Pashayan – are being charged under various articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including war crimes, terrorism, genocide, and other serious offenses.