Meshali genocide perpetrator Khachaturyan sentenced to 15 years imprisonment UPDATED

Today's court session delivered a verdict to Vagif Khachaturyan, accused of committing genocide in Meshali village of Khojaly district as a member of illegal Armenian armed groups.

According to Report, at the court session chaired by Judge Zeynal Agayev of the Baku Military Court, Vagif Khachaturyan was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

15:26

Another court hearing in the criminal case of Vagif Khachaturyan, accused of committing genocide in Meshali village of the Khojaly district, as part of illegal Armenian armed formations, was underway after the break.

Khachaturyan’s lawyer Radmila Abylova spoke at the court hearing chaired by judge of the Baku Military Court Zeynal Aghayev. In her speech, the lawyer asked to acquit Khachaturyan, APA reports.

During his final remarks, Khachaturyan said that he did not plead guilty and asked the court to acquit him.

The judges will announce the verdict soon.

11:12

The prosecutor demanded a 15-year prison sentence for Vagif Khachaturyan.

At the regular court session on the case of Vagif Khachaturyan, accused of committing genocide in Meshali village of Khojaly district as a member of illegal Armenian armed groups, the prosecutor demanded 15 years of imprisonment. Judge of Baku Military Court Zeynal Agayev is presiding over the court session, according to APA.

09:22

The trial of Vagif Cherkezovich Khachaturyan, accused of committing genocide in Meshali village of Khojaly district as a member of illegal Armenian armed groups, will continue today.

The court session will be held under the chairmanship of Baku Military Court Chairman Zeynal Agayev, Report informs.

The criminal case will be considered in the administrative building of Yasamal District Court.

State prosecutors - Senior Assistant Prosecutor General, 3rd rank State Counsellor of Justice Mugaddas Sultanov and Counsellor of Justice Jovdat Mehraliyev - will speak at the trial. The prosecutor will demand the punishment of the accused.

It should be noted that at the trial held on November 6, it was announced that the judicial investigation of Khachaturyan's criminal case was completed.

It should be noted that Vagif Khachaturyan is accused of participating in the massacre of Azerbaijanis in Meshali village of Khojaly district on December 22, 1991 as a member of Armenian armed formations. As a result, 27 Azerbaijanis were killed, 21 people were wounded of varying degrees of severity, two villagers were taken hostage and 340 people were expelled from their homes.  In total, the villagers suffered damage of $7.6 million, and the state suffered damage of $76,000.

On July 29 this year, Vagif Khachaturyan was detained by servicemen of the State Border Service at the Lachin border checkpoint while trying to leave for Armenia. By the court's decision, a preventive measure in the form of arrest was chosen against him. He was prosecuted as an accused under Articles 103 (genocide) and 107 (deportation or forced resettlement of population) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

On September 22 this year, the accused Vagif Khachaturyan was again charged under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code, and on September 29 the preliminary investigation of the criminal case was completed and sent to the Baku Military Court for consideration.