Azerbaijan launches investigation against Armenia regarding Ganja attacks

Senior Prosecutor from the Azerbaijani General Prosecutor's Office Shahin Osmanov has said that the Armenian armed forces launched missile strikes using "Tornado" and "Elbrus" against unprotected areas, populated settlements, civilians and individuals not engaged in hostilities in Ganja city from October 4 to 17, 2020. 

Osmanov made these remarks during a press briefing about the fifth missile attack on Ganja committed on October 17, 2020, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media. 

He stated that since 06:00 (GMT+4) on September 27, 2020, the Armenian armed forces and illegal armed groups have grossly violated the ceasefire and norms of international law.

Osmanov noted that illegal armed groups, in blatant violation of the Geneva Convention, shelled various areas along the front, including Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Goranboy, and Tartar districts, as well as Ganja and Mingachevir cities, targeting the educational and medical institutions, which are not military targets. 

He also mentioned that an investigation has been launched by the Attorney General of the Republic of Azerbaijan regarding the terrorist attacks on Ganja committed by Arayik Harutyunyan and others on October 4, 2020. 

The case has been filed under articles 100, 116, 117, 120, 186, 214, 218, 228, and 279 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

Osmanov said that as a result of missile strikes on Ganja on October 4, 5, 8, 11, and 17, 2020, a total of 26 people lost their lives, while 175 others sustained varying degrees of injuries. Among the deceased were 10 men, 10 women, and 6 minors.

Some 61 of the injured were men, 66 were women, and 48 were minors.

He further stated that 21 state properties, 3,565 individuals, and 12 legal entities suffered intentional damage amounting to a total of 87,710,196 manats ($51,594,232) in Ganja, which qualifies as a significant sum.

Four years have passed since the fifth missile attack by the Armenian Armed Forces on the Azerbaijani city of Ganja during the second Karabakh war.

Throughout the conflict, Ganja endured a total of five missile and heavy artillery attacks (October 4, 5, 8, 11, 17), which claimed 26 lives, including 10 men, 10 women and six children. The attacks injured 175 people, 61 men, 66 women, and 48 children and caused severe damage to civilian infrastructure and vehicles.

Former so-called “president” of the Karabakh separatists, Arayik Harutyunyan, who was accused of orchestrating terrorist attacks on Ganja's civilian population during the second Karabakh war, has been detained by the representatives of the Azerbaijani State Security Service and transferred to Baku. 

By Naila Huseynova