Another court hearing of criminal case against Vagif Khachatryan scheduled for November 1 UPDATED

Another trial in the case of Vagif Cherkezovich Khachaturyan, accused of committing genocide in the village of Meshali in the Khojaly district as part of illegal Armenian armed formations, has been held in Baku.

The trial, chaired by the chairman of the Baku Military Court, Zeynal Agayev, heard the testimony of the victims, APA reports.

During the court session, it was announced that one of the victims of the events in Meshali, Firuza Mehraliyeva, who is now 90 years old, sent a telegram to the court, noting that she is a bedridden patient, therefore she will not be able to appear at the trial.

In another telegram sent to the court by the victim Elnara Babayeva, it is said that she has two young children in her care, that she lives in Gabala District of Azerbaijan, and therefore will also not be able to appear at the trial.

At the trial, their testimony given at the investigation was read out.

Following the deliberations, the judges scheduled another court hearing for November 1.

11:59

A regular court session on the criminal case of Vagif Cherkezovich Khachaturyan, accused of participating in the genocide committed on December 22, 1991, in the village of Meshali in the Khojaly district by members of illegal Armenian armed formations, has kicked off in Baku.

The criminal case is being investigated in the administrative building of the Yasamal District Court under the chairmanship of the judge of the Baku Military Court Zeynal Agayev, according to Report.

The victims of the genocide are testifying at the trial.

09:15

A regular court hearing on the criminal case of Vagif Khachaturyan, accused of participation in the genocide committed on December 22, 1991, in Meshali village of Khojaly district by members of illegal Armenian armed groups, will be held on October 25.

The trial is being held in the administrative building of Yasamal District Court under the chairmanship of Judge Zeynal Agayev of Baku Military Court, Report informs.

The victims will testify at the court session.

At the session held on October 18, the prosecutor read out the indictment. Fifty-eight citizens and Khojaly district Executive Power were recognised as victims in the case.

It should be noted that Vagif Khachaturyan is accused of participating in the massacre of Azerbaijanis in Meshali village of Khojaly district on December 22, 1991, as part of Armenian military formations. As a result, 27 Azerbaijanis were killed, 21 people were wounded of varying degrees of severity, two villagers were taken hostage and 340 people were expelled from their homes. In total, the villagers suffered damage in the amount of $7.6 million, and the state suffered damage in the amount of $76,000.

It should be noted that Armenian citizen Vagif Cherkezovich Khachaturyan, on the international wanted list concerning the genocide in Meshali, was detained in July this year at the Lachin border checkpoint.

A criminal case was opened against him under articles 103 (genocide) and 107 (deportation or forced resettlement of the population), and a preventive measure in the form of remand in custody was chosen.

Article 103 ("Genocide - actions aimed at the complete or partial destruction of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group by killing members of this group, causing serious harm to their health or serious harm to their mental abilities, creating living conditions designed for the complete or partial physical destruction of members of this group, carrying out activities aimed at prevention of births within a group, forced transfer of children belonging to one group to another") - provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 14 to 20 years or life imprisonment.

Article 107 ("Deportation or forced relocation of the population, the expulsion of the population from legal places of settlement to another State or expulsion by other coercive actions, without grounds established by the norms of international law and the laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan") provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of 10 to 15 years.

Both articles belong to the category of grave and especially grave crimes. Thus, according to the totality of the articles, Vagif Khachaturyan can expect a sentence of 20 years in prison or life imprisonment.