Armenian defendant confesses to killing Azerbaijani civilians, committing atrocities in Khojaly Trial in Baku

The Baku Military Court has heard chilling testimony from defendant Madat Babayan, who admitted that Armenian armed units carried out mass killings, looting, and other atrocities against Azerbaijani civilians in Khojaly in February 1992.

Part of his testimony concerned the Khojaly genocide committed in February 1992 and the subsequent events, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

Babayan stated that on February 24, Arkady Shirinyan, addressing the soldiers of three companies, announced that on the night of February 25 they would launch an offensive on Khojaly and kill the Azerbaijani civilians living there. The soldiers began preparing in line with the order given by Commander Arkady Shirinyan.

Before the assault, Khojaly was subjected to continuous shelling from cannons, mortars, and artillery stationed in high-altitude positions near Khankendi. After about 30–40 minutes of uninterrupted bombardment with mortars, artillery, and BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers, they entered Khojaly around midnight.

Upon entering the town, they began shooting at all civilians encountered, using automatic rifles, machine guns, and grenade launchers, and set houses on fire. Some residents, barefoot and carrying small children, tried to cross the Gargar River and fled toward nearby mountains and the village of Shelli in the Aghdam district.

Fleeing civilians were ambushed and shot by other Armenian armed groups that had set up positions around the city in advance. Houses in Khojaly were looted and burned, women were raped, civilians were subjected to brutal torture, and tanks and armoured vehicles ran over the bodies of the dead. Babayan himself admitted that, under orders, he fired from his rifle at everyone—women, men, and the elderly. Arkady Shirinyan and other commanders ordered the atrocities in Khojaly to be committed with particular cruelty. Because the town had long been under siege, only a very small number of people managed to escape.

According to the defendant’s testimony, the pogroms and looting in Khojaly continued from February 26 to March 8, 1992.

The trial in Baku continues against Armenian nationals accused of crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including preparing and waging an aggressive war, genocide, violations of the laws and customs of war, terrorism, financing terrorism, the violent seizure and retention of power, and numerous other crimes.

By Khagan Isayev