Survivor accuses Armenian forces of targeting civilians in 2020 Aghdam shelling Baku Court hears testimony of Azerbaijani victim

A victim of the 2020 Karabakh conflict delivered an emotional testimony during a high-profile war crimes trial in Baku on June 2, accusing the Armenian defendants of deliberately targeting Azerbaijani civilians.

Shamama Guliyeva recounted the events of October 19, 2020, when Armenian armed forces launched artillery strikes on the Banovshalar settlement in Azerbaijan’s Aghdam district, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Guliyeva, her daughter Maya Guliyeva, and military journalist Anar Shushali (Anar Hasanov, then reporting for AZTV) were seriously wounded in the attack.

"My home was heavily damaged as a result of strikes," Guliyeva testified.

In a poignant address to the Armenian nationals standing trial, Guliyeva vehemently condemned the deliberate targeting of civilians, declaring: “Is this what you call war—waging it against innocent civilians? Killing the elderly and children does not constitute warfare. Your true objective was the annihilation of Azerbaijanis.”

The case, currently being heard at the Baku Military Court, involves Armenian citizens charged with a wide range of serious offenses, including crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, the planning and execution of aggressive war, genocide, and the violation of international laws and customs of war. Additional charges include terrorism, the financing of terrorism, and the illegal seizure and retention of power.

By Vafa Guliyeva