Azerbaijan puts 18 on int'l wanted list for genocide in still-occupied village

Azerbaijan has put 18 people on the international wanted list as part of the investigation of the genocide in still-occupied Baghanis-Ayrim village in the northwestern Gazakh district bordering Armenia.

The statement came from senior assistant to the military prosecutor, head of the Military Prosecutor's Office press service, Firad Aliyev, Azertac reports.

"According to the episode concerning the genocide in Baghanis-Ayrim, 18 people were put on the international wanted list. A criminal case has been opened against them under articles 103 (genocide) and 107 (deportation and forced resettlement of the population) of the Criminal Code. At present, complex investigative and operational measures are continuing," Aliyev said.

To recap, March 24 marks the 33rd anniversary of the tragedy in the village of Baghanis-Ayrim of Gazakh district. On the night of March 23-24, 1990, Armenians invaded the village of Baghanis-Ayrim with armoured vehicles and tanks. During this tragedy, 10 people were tortured and killed, 12 houses were looted and burned, 438 residents were expelled from the village.

Firad Aliyev recalled that a joint investigative and operational group was created by a single order of the Azerbaijani  prosecutor-general, interior and national security ministers on December 18, 2003.

The group was set up to investigate crimes against peace and humanity, as well as military, terrorist and other criminal acts committed against the Azerbaijani people, to give them a legal assessment, to identify and bring to criminal responsibility persons involved in the organisation and commission of these crimes, as well as to investigate the facts of gross violation of international law.

On May 5, 2005, Deputy Prosecutor-General, Military Prosecutor, Justice Lt-Gen Khanlar Valiyev was entrusted with the management of the investigation. After the criminal case was accepted for production in the military prosecutor's office, a new investigative and operational plan was drawn up. The preliminary investigation, unlike in previous years, was conducted in accordance with this unified investigative and operational plan, international treaties and legal norms, the requirements of the Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes of Azerbaijan, he said.