Participant of Second Karabakh War: I was brutally tortured in Armenian captivity

On August 7, during an ongoing trial at the Baku Military Court, Sharif Aliyev - a participant in the Second Karabakh War - gave testimony regarding his time in Armenian captivity.

Aliyev recounted that in November 2020, during the 44-day war, he was severely wounded by Armenian forces near Khojavand and taken prisoner. He stated that while in captivity, he was subjected to beatings and brutal torture.

Following his capture, he was transported - as he later learned - to Yerevan. Prior to being captured, Aliyev had suffered gunshot wounds to his chest and both legs. In captivity, Armenian soldiers reportedly forced him to repeat words in Armenian and Russian. When he refused, they shot him in the right foot.

In response to questions from accused David Babayan, Aliyev said that four of his fellow servicemen were killed before his capture, and he, along with another soldier, was wounded. According to Aliyev, the second wounded Azerbaijani soldier was killed with a gunshot to the head by Armenian troops.

Answering the question from another accused David Ishkhanyan, Aliyev added that upon returning to Azerbaijan on December 15, 2020, he underwent surgery at a clinic in Ganja.