Admissions of Manvel Grigoryan, former deputy minister of defense, regarding the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia examined as evidence in court

The open court hearing session regarding criminal cases against citizens of the Republic of Armenia-Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Gukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkanyan, 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 Armeniachr("39")s military aggression against Azerbaijan, continued on September 25, Olaylar reports.

The court session held at the Baku Military Court, presided over by Judge Zeynal Aghayev and composed of Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (with reserve judge Gunel Samadova), provided each accused person with a translator in their native language, as well as representation for their defense.

The accused persons, their defenders, a portion of the victims, their legal heirs and representatives, as well as prosecutors defending the state prosecution, participated in the session.

At the beginning of the session, accused person Levon Mnatsakanyan addressed the court, expressing his desire to familiarize himself with the protocols of several previous sessions and requesting the creation of appropriate conditions.

The presiding judge informed Mnatsakanyan that conditions would be provided for him to review the session protocols with the assistance of a translator.

The court session continued with the examination of an interview given by Manvel Grigoryan, former deputy minister of defense of Armenia, as evidence in the criminal case.

Sent from Armenia to occupy Azerbaijani territories, M. Grigoryan spoke in the interview about crimes committed in Azerbaijanchr("39")s sovereign territories, including in Aghkand, as well as sabotage operations, based on instructions received from Armenia.

"We would stir up hostility in schools so that they would fight and beat each other. In Hadrut and Khankendi, there was leadership cooperating with us, and from Armenia, they were in direct contact with us 24 hours a day," Grigoryan stated.

He mentioned that a group of young people and women from Yerevan came to Azerbaijani territories and began working as school teachers, adding: "They cooperated with us. They taught classes during the day, and at night, they stood guard with us. In other words, they were already 'soldiers' at night.

Then, through these young teachers, we began using 14-15-year-old teenagers as soldiers. Because it was easier to work with children at that age-the same 14-15-year-olds I mentioned, 90 percent of them still serve in the army to this day, even as generals and other high-ranking officers-we started drawing them to our side, to the base. We would give them serious weapons, teach them what we knew, and conduct exercises."

In the interview, Grigoryan also spoke about the involvement of Armeniachr("39")s former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan in the occupation of Azerbaijani territories at the time.

He stated that high-ranking military personnel, generals, and colonels from Armenia were sent to Azerbaijanchr("39")s then-occupied territories to establish military units. He named one of the generals as Artusha, who came from Gumru.

"From Armenia, they could bring us automatics-whatever could be transported by helicopter in general," he added.

Grigoryan also confessed to the killing of Azerbaijanis and the plundering of villages, stating: "We began capturing the Turks' (Azerbaijanis' - ed.) villages. We would enter, destroy the villages, and devastate them."

Grigoryan also spoke about being the commander of a brigade belonging to the Armenian armed forces. He stated that in connection with this, he was summoned to Armenia and sent to Azerbaijan's then-occupied territories on the order of Defense Minister Vazgen Manukyan. After that, they occupied 47 villages in Azerbaijan's Fizuli district.

Subsequently, a series of documents related to the criminal case were announced in court. These included documents regarding the shelling of Ashagi Askipara and other villages in the Gazakh district on June 8, 1992; the raid on a military unit's settlement on February 29, 1992, and the seizure of weapons and ammunition from the military unit; the artillery shelling of Beylagan city on December 16, 1993; and the occupation of Khankendi city and the Karkijahan settlement.

Additionally, documents were announced concerning the forced displacement (deportation) of the population from their residential areas as a result of the occupation of the Shusha district, Khankendi city, Khojavend, Khojaly, Aghdara, Lachin, Kalbajar, Fizuli, Gubadli, Jabrayil, Aghdam, and Zangilan districts by the Armenian armed forces.

Furthermore, documents were announced regarding the cruel treatment and torture of captured servicemen of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan and civilians and other persons protected by international humanitarian law; the graves of unknown martyrs buried during the First Karabakh War; the handover of the remains of persons missing during the First Karabakh War in Shusha city; and the discovery of a mass grave in the Edilli village of the Khojavend district.

Other announced documents related to the killing of Azerbaijanis, inflicting injuries, attempts to kill, and other crimes.

Along with the documents, a series of photographs were also displayed.

The court proceedings will continue on September 26.

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, Monte Charles Melkonyan, and others.

The following individuals - Arayik Vladimiri Harutyunyan, Arkadi Arshaviri Ghukasyan, Bako Sahaki Sahakyan, Davit Rubeni Ishkhanyan, David Azatini Manukyan, Davit 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 the following articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan: Article 100 (planning, preparing, initiating, and waging a war of aggression); Article 102 (attacking persons or organizations enjoying international protection); Article 103 (genocide); Article 105 (extermination of the population); Article 106 (enslavement); Article 107 (deportation or forced displacement of population); Article 109 (persecution); Article 110 (enforced disappearance of persons); Article 112 (deprivation of liberty contrary to international law); Article 113 (torture); Article 114 (mercenary service); Article 115 (violation of the laws and customs of warfare); Article 116 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflict); Article 118 (military robbery); Article 120 (intentional murder); Article 192 (illegal entrepreneurship); Article 214 (terrorism); Article 214-1 (financing terrorism); Article 218 (creation of a criminal organization); Article 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, and possession of weapons, ammunition, explosives, and devices); Article 270-1 (acts threatening aviation security); Article 277 (assassination of a state official or public figure); Article 278 (forcible seizure and retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state); Article 279 (creation of armed groups not provided for by law); and additional articles.