BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 3. Court hearings onthe criminal case against citizens of the Republic of ArmeniaArayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, DavidIshkhanyan, Davit Babayan, Lyova Mnatsakanyan, and others, who areaccused of committing crimes against peace and humanity, warcrimes, including the preparation and conduct of a war ofaggression, acts of genocide, violation of the laws and customs ofwarfare, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, forcibleseizure of power, forcible retention of power, and numerous othercrimes as a result of Armenia's military aggression, were continuedon April 3,Trendreports.
The hearings held at the Baku Military Court were presided overby Judge Zeynal Aghayev and a panel consisting of Jamal Ramazanovand Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova). Each of the accusedwas provided with an interpreter into the language of their choice,as well as defense attorneys.
Present at the review hearings were the accused and theirdefense attorneys, some of the victims, their legal successors andrepresentatives, as well as prosecutors in charge of publicprosecution.
During the hearings, the prosecutors in charge of publicprosecution asked questions of David Ishkhanyan, who worked as“speaker of parliament” and held other “positions” in theself-styled entity.
The accused answered questions about his functions and dutieswithin the criminal organization, the forcible seizure of power inthe sovereign territories of Azerbaijan once occupied by Armenia,the activities of the so-called “parliament” of the self-proclaimedrepublic, his role and responsibilities in that “organization” as a“member of parliament” and then as “speaker of parliament,” thedegree of his participation and his role in the “self-defensebattalion”, an illegal armed formation established in theself-proclaimed republic, the ideology, directions of activity,political ties of the “Dashnaktsutyun” party, the party’sactivities in the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan liberatedfrom occupation, his position and role within the party, as well asthe role and participation of the Armenian state, its institutions,armed forces, and high-ranking officials in the aforementionedprocesses.
While answering questions from public prosecutor VusalAbdullayev, he admitted that he had held the position of “battalioncommander” in the self-proclaimed republic since the summer of 1992and participated in the war against Azerbaijan.
David Ishkhanyan said that he was an active member of the'Dashnaktsutyun' party and served as the 'faction leader' in the'parliament' of the so-called republic for two years.
The accused also acknowledged that he had joined the war againstAzerbaijan in the summer of 1992 as a member of the“Dashnaktsutyun” party.
Answering questions from the senior assistant to the ProsecutorGeneral, Vusal Aliyev, who also represents public prosecution,David Ishkhanyan said that leadership of the self-styled entity’s“army” was exercised by the “self-defense committee”. He said, “Theleaders were Serzh Sarkisyan and Samvel Babayan, but I cannot sayanything about the management mechanism.”
When answering questions from Nasir Bayramov, the head of theDepartment of Public Prosecution of the Prosecutor General’sOffice, the accused noted that when he was a “battalion commander”during the First Karabakh War, he reported to Monte Melkonyan.
David Ishkhanyan admitted that he had fought against Azerbaijanisoldiers in Aghdara, Khojavand, Kalbajar and Aghdam during thewar.
“There were eight battalions in Khojavand, and I was the‘commander’ of one of them. Eight battalions were subordinated tothe ‘defense line’ of the region; its leader was Monte Melkonyan,and the commander of the ‘army’ was Samvel Babayan,” he said.
During the hearings, public prosecutor Fuad Musayev said thatweapons and communication equipment were discovered in the “Park”hotel owned by the accused, David Ikhshanyan, after Azerbaijan hadrestored its state sovereignty in October 2023, and asked theaccused questions about that. David Ikhshanyan said that thecommunication equipment belonged to the hotel and accused otherArmenian residents of bringing the weapons and ammunition to thehotel. He said, “In my opinion, it belonged to the people fromAghdara who had come to the hotel a week before the incident andsettled there. They probably left them behind.”
The accused admitted that he had met with servicemen in amilitary unit in the Khojavand district of Azerbaijan, which wasthen under occupation, during the Second Karabakh War. “My youngestson was serving there. And as a “member of parliament”, it was myduty to do these things.”
He also said that he had been awarded for fighting againstAzerbaijani soldiers. He said, “The Order of the Battle Cross wasawarded to me for my combat activities, of course.”
Asked by the public prosecutor, “You stated at a pressconference on August 30, 2023 that you had sent open letters to thespeakers of parliament of Russia, Iran, France, the USA andEuropean countries, calling on them to put pressure on Azerbaijan.What was the content of those letters? And what kind of pressure onAzerbaijan were you calling for?”, David Ishkhanyan answered, “Yes,I did send such letters, but I am not aware whether those lettersreached their destination.”
The accused then answered the question of public prosecutorVusal Abdullayev about the purpose of Armenia's military aggressionagainst Azerbaijan. He said, “I cannot talk about that period,because I was too young at the time. But when I became an adult, Irealized what strategic goals and strategic principles were. Thestrategic goal was the unification of Karabakh with Armenia.”
David Ishkhanyan also spoke about his relationship with RubenVardanyan and his stay at the hotel he owned. “I met RubenVardanyan in 2010 or 2011. He liked visiting our hotel. He used tohold meetings at the hotel before or after he became “stateminister”.
He noted that it says in his birth certificate that he was bornin the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, but that he was acitizen of the Republic of Armenia. “After the collapse of theSoviet Union, just like 150,000 Armenians, I also adopted thecitizenship of the Republic of Armenia. I have a passport of theRepublic of Armenia. I am a citizen of the Republic of Armenia.This is also stated in my passport that is currently with theinvestigative body.”
The next court hearing is scheduled for April 4. The proceedingswill be continued with questions to be asked of the accused.
We recall that a total of 15 Armenian nationals are beingcharged with numerous crimes involving direct leadership andparticipation of the Armenian state, its state bodies, militaryforces and illegal armed formations, verbal and writteninstructions, orders and assignments, provision of material andtechnical support, central governance, as well as the exercise ofrigorous control, with the aim of committing military aggressionand acts of terror against the Republic of Azerbaijan in theterritory of Azerbaijan in violation of domestic and internationallaw, and involving Robert Sedraki Kocharyan, Serzh Azati Sargsyan,Vazgen Mikaeli Manukyan, Vazgen Zaveni Sargsyan, Samvel AndranikiBabayan, Vitali Mikaeli Balasanyan, Zori Hayki Balayan, SeyranMushegi Ohanyan, Arshavir Surenovich Garamyan, Monte CharlesMelkonyan and others, including criminal acts committed during thecourse of the war of aggression waged by the aforementionedcriminal group.
The said persons, i.e. Arayik Vladimiri Harutyunyan, ArkadiArshaviri Ghukasyan, Bako Sahaki Sahakyan, David Rubeni Ishkhanyan,David Azatini Manukyan, Davit Klimi Babayan, Levon HenrikovichMnatsakanyan, Vasili Ivani Beglaryan, Erik Roberti Ghazaryan, DavitNelsoni Allahverdiyan, Gurgen Homeri Stepanyan, Levon RomikiBalayan, Madat Arakelovich Babayan, Garik Grigori Martirosyan,Melikset Vladimiri Pashayan, are being charged under Articles 100(planning, preparing, initiating and waging a war of aggression),102 (attacking persons or organizations enjoying internationalprotection), 103 (genocide), 105 (extermination of the population),106 (enslaving), 107 (deportation or forced displacement of thepopulation), 109 (persecution), 110 (enforced disappearance ofpeople), 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to internationallaw), 113 (torture), 114 (mercenary service), 115 (violation of thelaws and customs of warfare), 116 (violation of internationalhumanitarian law during armed conflict), 118 (military robbery),120 (intentional murder), 192 (illegal entrepreneurship), 214(terrorism), 214-1 (financing terrorism), 218 (creation of acriminal association (organization)), 228 (illegal acquisition,transfer, sale, storage, transportation and possession of weapons,their components, ammunition, explosives and devices), 270-1 (actsthreatening aviation security), 277 (assassination of a stateofficial or public figure), 278 (forcible seizure and retention ofpower, forcible change of the constitutional structure of thestate), 279 (creation of armed formations and groups not providedfor by law) and other articles of the Criminal Code of the Republicof Azerbaijan.
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