Victims testify at the trial of Meshali genocide perpetrator UPDATED

A regular court session on the criminal case of Vagif Cherkezovich Khachaturyan, accused of committing genocide in Meshali village of Khojaly district as a member of illegal Armenian armed groups, is underway in Azerbaijan's capital Baku.

The people who suffered that horrendous night testified at the trial of the Meshali genocide perpetrator.

The victims said that they were tortured and insulted by Armenians.

The victim Kamal Rajabov told the court that the village of Meshali was suddenly attacked: "They subjected the village to a mass intense fire and arsoned villagers' houses. As a result of their actions, my wife and two babies were killed. They did not spare anyone. A two-year-old toddler and a 17-year-old girl were brutally killed in front of my eyes.

Another victim Eldar Salmanov said in his testimony that he personally knew Vagif Khachaturyan: "I was 16 years old at the time. More than two thousand military men attacked the village of Meshali. Their aim was to capture more Azerbaijanis. Khachaturian and his detachment set fire to our neighbours' house and gloated hearing the screams of people burning alive. On that ill-fated day, I was left without my mother and father".

Shakir Gonagov testified as the legal successor of the victim.

He said that his brother Musa Gonagov died in Meshali village: "He served there as a volunteer. His body was handed over to us three days after the events, and we buried him the same night. His fighting comrades say that he fought to the end and killed himself with the last bullet. But there were many bullet wounds on his body. So the Armenians shot at my brother even after they killed him. I demand the harshest punishment for Vagif Khachaturyan. He should be shot. They ate the bread of Azerbaijan and then they became brazen".

Further, the victim Arzu Gasimova said that she was 25 years old at the time of those events: "May Allah punish them, now it is difficult for us to even talk about what happened there. Give him a severe punishment. They did not spare our babies and women. Three days before the Meshali genocide, my father took me and my younger sister to Lachin. He died during the events in Meshali and my mother was severely wounded. She went through the forest wounded. By her bloody footprints, people found the road and left the village".

The victim Suleyman Makhmudov also testified at the trial.

He told about Vagif Khachaturyan's brother: "There his brother Armaris addressed us on the loudspeaker. He was saying, 'You are surrounded, leave the village.' But they could not capture the whole village. We took the old men, women and children out of the village and joined the fight. We found weapons and started shooting at the enemies. They shot at us with machine gun fire. My mother, my nephew, and my cousins were killed. I learnt from the villagers that one of the participants in the attack was Vagif.

I did not understand why they did it. We used to live normally, but after 1988 they lost their humanity."

The accused reiterated that he was not in Meshali village at the time of the events.

The victim Sadig Hajiyev said he saw Vagif only once at that time: "Then I returned from military service and got a job in the police. On the day of the incident, there were wounded. We left in an ambulance with Ramil Kazymov. When we had travelled 2 kilometres, they ordered us to stop. Ramil said that it was Vagif who ordered us to stop. When Ramil stopped the car, he was wounded, and he drove the car out of there. I got behind the wheel and drove him to Shusha. The Armenians themselves said that Ramil was shot by Vagif."

According to Report, Khachaturyan's defence counsel Natig Beybalaev applied to the court, stating that due to the deterioration of his health condition, he would not be able to participate in the court hearings. Khachaturyan's interests will be defended by lawyer Radmina Abulova.

The names of the Armenians who together with Vagif Khachaturyan, who is currently on trial, killed 25, wounded 14 and evicted 358 Azerbaijanis from their legal place of residence in Meshali village of Khojaly district in December 1991 have been made public.

These are residents of Badara village of Khojaly district: Emest Bakhshiyevich Sarkisyan, Armais Bakhshiyevich Sarkisyan, Benik Astanovich Gasparyan, Khoren Melikovich Abramyan, Armen Sarkisovich Avanesyan, Vova Armaisovich Sarkisyan, Gariy Nikolaevich Khachaturyan, Nikolay Beglarovich Kachaturyan, Armen Garagenovich Abramyan, Eduard Armenovich Abramyan, Zina Armenovich Abramyan, Vahid Armenovich Abramyan, Karen Ashotovich Ohanyan, Naorik Ashotovich Ohanyan, Gurgen Benikovich Gasparyan, Valery Benikovich Gasparyan, Albert Melikovich Davidyan, Samvel Rafikovich Sahakyan, Asatur Bakhshievich Osipyan, Karlen Bakhshievich Khachatryan, Eduard Beglarovich Israelyan, Artur Vartanovich Avakyan, Surik Armaisovich Sarkisyan, as well as Verdi Allahverdyan, Vilen Verdiyan, Grisha Magishovich, Slavik Ardemovich, Gavrusha Zadurovich and Ruben and Andronik - persons whose identities are unknown to the investigation.

They participated in the activities of a criminal group consisting of armed military formations not provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, created from Armenian nationalists residing in the Karabakh economic region, as well as those who came from the Republic of Armenia.

In order to commit these criminal acts, Vagif Khachaturyan, together with members of the above-mentioned illegal armed formations, actively participated in inciting ethnic hatred and enmity between the Azerbaijani and Armenian peoples, humiliating the national dignity of Azerbaijanis, limiting their rights because of their nationality, and undertook actions aimed at proving the superiority of Armenians. Starting in the summer of 1988, this group carried out systematic attacks on Azerbaijanis travelling from the village of Meshali in the Khojaly (former Askeran) district to the towns of Aghdam and Khankendi on the roads, beating and insulting them, threatening them with death, destroying their property and taking other actions aimed at their physical destruction.

While in court, Khachaturyan faced another victim of his torture.

The footage taken by Trend correspondent from the courtroom on October 17 shows that the above-mentioned person, who was tortured by Khachaturyan during the First Karabakh War (1988-1994), approached the cell where the accused was kept with the words: "Remember...?".

It became known that he was Ibragim Nurmamedov, a resident of Meshali village of Khojaly district.

Then Ibrahim Nurmamedov, participating as a victim in the trial, was taken away from the accused by the prosecutor.