Baku court hears harrowing accounts of Armenian brutality in Khojaly genocide Torture, Executions, burnings

Testimonies from victims of the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories were heard today during an ongoing trial at the Baku Military Court, where several Armenian nationals stand accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and other serious offences.

One of the victims, Farman Mammadov, a resident of Khojaly, recounted being taken hostage on February 27, 1992—just one day after the massacre that took place on the night of February 25-26, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

Mammadov, who was only 10 years old at the time, said he witnessed the execution of a man during the capture. He and other hostages were held for 10 days, during which they were subjected to beatings and torture by Armenian forces.

Another witness, Valeh Huseynov, also a Khojaly resident, testified that he was shot and captured during the genocide. He described the murder of his wife by Armenian soldiers. When he refused to leave her body behind, he was injured and taken hostage. Huseynov recalled seeing civilians being gunned down during the massacre.

While held in Asgaran, he and other detainees were tortured. Huseynov, a guitarist, told the court that Armenian captors pulled out his fingernails with pliers, broke his fingers, and forced his hand into a burning oven. He named three of his torturers as Manvel, Garik, and Slavik. After 27 days in captivity, he was handed over to Azerbaijani authorities.

The trial in Baku continues against Armenian nationals accused of launching and waging a war of aggression, committing acts of terrorism, financing terrorism, violating the laws and customs of war, seizing and retaining power by force, and other grave crimes.

By Khagan İsayev