Missile attack on Shusha targeted civilian population: Testimony reveals Trial at Baku court continues / UPDATED

The missile attack on the Azerbaijani city of Shusha was carried out by members of an armed Armenian group operating from the Topkhana forest, according to testimony heard during a trial underway at the Baku Military Court.

Witness Arthur Abrahamyan stated that he learned from one of the perpetrators, Samvel, that the missile was launched by Samvel, Ashot, Karo, Sasun, and Artur (also known by the nickname “Afghan”) with the intent to destroy the city’s civilian population, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

Abrahamyan identified the group’s leader as Murad Petrosyan, and said its core members included Artur, Sasun, Ashot, Samvel, and Karo. He further testified that material support for these armed formations was sent from Yerevan by helicopter. The funds, he said, were delivered by Vazgen Manukyan — then Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council of Armenia — and received in Khankendi by Robert Kocharyan.

“I personally witnessed Kocharyan handing over money to Murad Petrosyan on multiple occasions,” Abrahamyan said. “Petrosyan then distributed it among the members of the armed group.”

He also recalled that in early October 1989, Petrosyan met with group members Hakob, Abo, Slavik, Ashot, and Gago, and informed them that in order to blockade Shusha, they needed to blow up a bridge leading into the city.

Arthur Abramyan, who was the driver of Murad Petrosyan, revealed that Robert Kocharyan was a close associate of the chairman of the Khankendi City Council, Maxim Babayan.

"Robert Kocharyan, Maxim Babayan, and Genrikh Poghosyan, having gathered the leaders of Armenian armed formations, stated that in the near future, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) should leave the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) and join the Armenian SSR, and that all forces must be mobilized to expel Azerbaijanis from these territories."

Meanwhile, the chairman of the NKAO party committee, Genrikh Poghosyan, led the entire Armenian nationalist movement.

"Weapons were sent from Yerevan to Azerbaijani territories by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armenian National Army, Vazgen Sargsyan. Weapons were delivered by helicopters from Armenia to major cities, where they were received and distributed by the leaders of the armed formations. Members of the Armenian armed formation, Ashot and Gago, in early October 1989, planted an explosive device near a place called ‘Zerinbag’ with the intent to blow up a bus traveling along the Shusha-Khankendi road. However, the bus was delayed, and as a result, the explosion damaged a KamAZ truck that was passing by at that moment," the witness testified.

The trial, which continues in Baku, involves several Armenian nationals charged with crimes against peace and humanity resulting from Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan. Charges include genocide, war crimes, terrorism, financing of terrorism, the violent seizure and retention of power, and numerous other serious offenses.

By Khagan Isayev