Trial continues for individuals accused of committing numerous crimes as a result of Armenia’s military aggression
Baku, January 21, AZERTAC
An open preparatory court session on the criminal case concerning the crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including waging an aggressive war, genocide, forced displacement of the population, persecution, torture, military robbery, and other unlawful acts committed against the Republic of Azerbaijan and its people by the Armenian state and its Armed Forces, as well as the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" established in the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan and its illegal armed groups, continued on Tuesday.
During the preparatory session held at the Baku Military Court in the Baku Court Complex, chaired by Judge Zeynal Aghayev and consisting of Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev, the accused were provided with Armenian language interpreters and defense lawyers.
Out of more than 531,000 people recognized as victims, 350 participated in the process.
The court session reviewed defendants’ motions.
During the trial, Davit Babayan's lawyer filed a motion requesting a confidential meeting with his client. The prosecution raised no objections to the motion.
The judge granted Davit Babayan's lawyer's motion and the court announced a break for a confidential meeting.
After the adjournment, most of the defendants’ lawyers requested that their client’s detention measures be replaced with house arrest.
The prosecutor representing the state prosecution opposed the motions, requesting that the detention measures remain unchanged and the motion not to be granted, considering the defendants' personalities, the severity and nature of their alleged crimes, and that changing detention measures to house arrest would impede objective court proceedings.
In their statements, representatives of the victims and the victims themselves, including Rufat Mammadov, Head of the Cabinet of Ministers Apparatus, who represented the Azerbaijani state as a victim, requested that the motions not to be granted and that the accused remain in detention.
The victim's representative Arzu Javadov noted that there are enough qualified doctors in the country's detention facilities: "They have an adequate supply of drugs. Medical assistance is provided in a timely manner... There is no procedural basis for changing the detention measure... Their health is monitored by the International Red Cross Committee. Therefore, I ask the court not to grant the submitted motions."
Shahin Huseynov, the representative of the victim, noted that the fact that the defendants are being accused in committing serious and particularly serious crimes should be taken into consideration: “The victims do also have rights as is the case with the rights of the defendants. This is the case of defending the rights of thousands of the victims present here. The motion regarding the house arrest is groundless. I am requesting the court not to grant it.”
Another victim Javanshir Mammadov noted that the defendants had been detained while trying to escape the country: “There is a threat of them hiding from the court and evading justice.”
Zeynal Aghayev, the Presiding judge at the court session, gave the floor to each of the accused to share their thoughts regarding the motions.
Unlike other defendants, defendant Arayik Harutyunyan mentioned that nether his lawyer nor himself requested motion asking for the release to home arrest, adding that he had no complaints regarding health issues: “When health issues arise, they are dealt with in the detention facility. In general, I haven't heard any complaints of health from other accused."
The rest of the accused, including Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Melikset Pashayan, and Davit Allahverdyan requested that their motions be granted and they be released to house arrest.
Other defendants left it to the discretion of the court whether to grant or not to grant the motion.
The next court session will be held on January 27, and decisions regarding the motions will be announced during that proceeding.
15 persons accused in the crimes committed by Armenian state and its Armed Forces, as well as the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" established in the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan and its illegal armed groups - Harutyunyan Arayik Vladimiri, Ghukasyan Arkadi Arshaviri, Sahakyan Bako Sahaki, Ishkhanyan Davit Rubeni, Manukyan Davit Azati, Babayan Davit Klimi, Mnatsakanyan Levon Henrikovich, Beglaryan Vasili Ivani, Ghazaryan Erik Roberti, Allahverdyan Davit Nelsoni, Stepanyan Gurgen Homerosi, Balayan Levon Romiki, Babayan Madat Arakelovich, Martirosyan Garik Grigori, and Pashayan Melikset Vladimiri have been charged as accused persons under the following articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan: Article 100 (planning, preparing, initiating, or waging an aggressive war), Article 102 (attacks on internationally protected persons or organizations), Article 103 (genocide), Article 105 (extermination of population), Article 106 (slavery), Article 107 (deportation or forcible transfer of population), Article 109 (persecution), Article 110 (enforced disappearance of persons through violence), Article 112 (unlawful deprivation of liberty in violation of international law), Article 113 (torture), Article 114 (mercenarism), Article 115 (violation of the laws and customs of war), Article 116 (violation of international humanitarian law norms during armed conflict), Article 118 (war looting), Article 120 (premeditated murder), Article 192 (illegal entrepreneurship), Article 214 (terrorism), Article 214-1 (financing of terrorism), Article 218 (establishment of a criminal organization), Article 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, or carrying of firearms, their components, ammunition, explosive substances, and devices), Article 270-1 (acts threatening aviation security), Article 277 (attempt on the life of a state or public figure), Article 278 (forceful seizure of power and its forcible retention, forceful alteration of the state's constitutional order), Article 279 (creation of armed groups and units not provided for by law) and other articles.
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