Documents reveal Armenian shelling of Shusha before occupation Details from the courtroom / PHOTO

On April 24, the Baku Military Court continued its review of critical documents detailing the events leading up to the occupation of Shusha by Armenian forces during the First Karabakh War.

Prosecutors presented evidence showing that prior to the occupation, Shusha and its surrounding villages were subjected to relentless shelling by Armenian armed forces using rockets, artillery, and other heavy weapons. These attacks resulted in the deaths, injuries, and abductions of numerous Azerbaijani civilians, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The court also heard that Armenian forces deliberately targeted vital civilian infrastructure, including water pipelines, schools, hospitals, and residential areas, causing extensive damage. At the time, criminal investigations were initiated in connection with these violations.

Among the tragic events highlighted were the Malibayli and Gushchular massacres—infamous atrocities in which Azerbaijani civilians were brutally killed.

Additionally, the court examined a protocol related to the April 4, 1991, attack on a helicopter carrying deputies of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan. The helicopter, en route to Shusha, came under fire from Armenian positions near the village of Eksaok, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Turshsu village, where it caught fire. Several passengers sustained injuries.

The trial also reviewed the downing of a Mi-8T civilian helicopter on January 28, 1992. The aircraft, operated by Azerbaijan’s AZAL civil aviation concern, was struck by a missile while flying over the village of Karkijahan near Khankendi. The crash, which occurred on a dirt road between the villages of Khalfali and Gaybali, claimed the lives of all 42 people on board, including three crew members and 39 passengers. The explosion left the remains of the victims burned and dismembered.

Fragments from the crash site were collected as part of the investigation.

The court proceedings are part of the ongoing trial of Armenian nationals accused of committing grave crimes during Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan. Charges include crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, genocide, terrorism, the financing of terrorism, and the violent seizure and retention of power.

The trial continues.

By Vugar Khalilov