Baku: The Baku Military Court continued its hearings on the criminal cases against Armenian citizens accused of crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, and other severe charges. The defendants, including Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, and others, face allegations of orchestrating aggressive war, genocide, and terrorism as part of Armenia’s military actions against Azerbaijan.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the trial is overseen by Judge Zeynal Aghayev, with Judges Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev, and reserve judge Gunel Samadova. Each defendant is provided with legal counsel and an interpreter. The session, attended by the accused, their lawyers, victims, and state prosecutors, allowed victims to recount their experiences and testify against the accused.
Victim Lankaran Jafarli testified about being injured by shrapnel during the 2020 Patriotic War while evacuating civilians in Aghdam. Shamsi Kazimli recounted being wounded in Hadrut and later at the Azerbaijan-Armenia border, where he and others were surrounded by Armenian forces. Additional testimonies came from Azad Akhundov, Ranil Abdullayev, and others who suffered injuries or loss due to the conflict.
The court also heard from individuals like Idris Mirzayev and Habib Aliyev, who detailed their harrowing experiences of captivity and torture by Armenian forces. Other testimonies highlighted the personal losses and displacements suffered by Azerbaijanis due to the conflict, including missing relatives and destroyed homes.
The trial, set to continue, involves fifteen Armenian defendants accused of numerous crimes during the conflict. These charges, under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, include planning and waging a war of aggression, genocide, terrorism, and more. The crimes were allegedly committed under the leadership of Armenian state officials and military personnel, emphasizing the severity of the accusations being addressed in court.