Baku court uncovers Armenian leaders' key role in 1992 Shusha assault Sargsyan and Kocharyan’s direct involvement exposed

During the ongoing trial at the Baku Military Court, new video material and confessions related to the occupation of the Shusha district by Armenian armed forces were presented, revealing key involvement of high-ranking officials, including Armenia’s former presidents.

One of the most significant revelations came from a video recording of Serzh Sargsyan, the former president of Armenia, who emphasised the immense significance of the Shusha operation. Sargsyan stated, "The importance of this operation was so great that Robert Kocharyan himself participated," Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The court session also featured the testimony of Major General Gurgen Dalibaltayan (1926-2015), a former Armenian Armed Forces officer, whose notes on the Shusha operation were presented. Dalibaltayan corroborated Sargsyan's statement, confirming that both Robert Kocharian and Serzh Sargsyan were involved in the planning, preparation, and execution of the operation. Dalibaltayan stressed the operation’s importance, noting, "The significance of the Shusha operation was enormous."

In addition to these testimonies, several video materials were presented in court, including reports produced by Armenia during the occupation period. One of the key pieces of evidence was a video featuring General-Major Arkadi Ter-Tadevosyan, known as "Commando," who led the operation to occupy Shusha. The video revealed his notes on the occupation process and the individuals involved. It also highlighted the extensive preparations made for the operation.

It was emphasised that the plan for the occupation of Shusha had been presented to Vazgen Sargsyan, Armenia’s first defence minister, who approved it.

Tugay Rahimli, the Assistant to the Prosecutor General for Special Tasks, defended the state prosecution by stating that these facts, among others, prove that the Armenian political and military leadership issued the orders for the occupation of Shusha.

Other video materials presented in court listed the names of those who led the occupation in four directions: Samvel Babayan, Seyran Ohanyan, Valeri Chichyan, and Arkadi Karapetyan. The video footage produced by Armenia highlighted that the objective of the operation was not only the occupation of Shusha but also to "cleanse Shusha from crawling insects."

The trial, which continues, focuses on Armenian citizens accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, including the preparation and conduct of an aggressive war, genocide, violations of the laws and customs of war, terrorism, financing terrorism, seizing power by force, maintaining it by force, and numerous other crimes in the aftermath of Armenia’s military aggression.

By Vugar Khalilov