Azerbaijani ombudswoman visits culprit Khachatryan PHOTO

Azerbaijani Human Rights Commissioner (Ombudswoman) Sabina Aliyeva visited culprit Vagif Khachatryan.

Caliber.Az reports that the ombudswoman and members of the Ombudsman's National Preventive Group on Combating Torture visited places of detention without prior notice.

Within the framework of the visit, an individual meeting was held with Khachatryan, detained on July 29 by officers of Azerbaijan’s State Border Service at the Lachin border checkpoint of the Azerbaijani-Armenian state border. During the meeting, which was also attended by a doctor and a psychologist, Khachatryan's appeal was heard.

He expressed satisfaction with the humane treatment provided to him since his detention, quality medical care and noted positive changes in his health. Khachaturyan expressed his gratitude to Azerbaijan for all of the above, as well as for the conditions of detention and the possibility to contact his family.

Within the framework of the on-site visit, the conditions of detention in the institution were checked - conditions for personal hygiene and sanitation, medical care, and food. It was found that Khachatryan's rights were ensured in accordance with national legislation and international documents, he was provided with necessary medical and psychological services, and literature and necessary information materials were available in the ward.

Khachatryan was provided with legislative acts and international documents in his native language on the mechanisms for addressing his rights, informing publications about the possibilities of contacting the ombudswoman and the 916 hotline.

Information, videos and photos related to Khachaturyan were sent to the relevant international structures.

Khachatryan was charged under Articles 103 ("Genocide") and 107 ("Deportation or forced resettlement of population") of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan and arrested by the court decision.

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.