BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 21
By Samir Ali - Trend:
A preliminary court hearing on the criminal case of members of an armed group consisting of Armenian citizens who illegally crossed into the territory of Azerbaijan with the aim of committing terror was held at the Baku Court on Grave Crimes on June 21, Trend reports.
The accused members are: Yeghish Astanyan, Karen Aramyan, Tigran Avakyan, Grigor Gevorgyan, Hovsep Manukyan, Gevorg Martirosyan, Robert Gevorkyan, Vagarshag Avetisyan, Volodya Hakobyan, Andranik Sukiasyan, Andranik Manukyan, Grigor Saghatelyan and Eduard Giragusyan.
At the preliminary court hearing chaired by Judge Faig Ganiev, the personal data of the accused were clarified. Then their rights were explained to them. The judge announced that the defendants were provided with lawyers at the expense of the state.
In the course of the process, the accused were presented with the composition of the court and the defense. The accused did not object to the composition of the court and defense lawyers, but refused to testify.
The lawyers said that the defendants were arrested on December 13, 2020, but the term of their arrest is counted from February to March 2021.
“The defense side petitioned that the term of the arrest of the accused be counted from December last year, but the petition was rejected. After discussions, the court retired to a meeting, after which it was announced that the trial on this criminal case was scheduled for July 1, 2021. It will take place in the building of the Baku Court of Appeal,” according to the lawyers.
As earlier reported, the preliminary investigation of the criminal case initiated by the Main Investigation Department of the Azerbaijani State Security Service against the members of the Armenian armed formations disarmed as a result of the anti-terrorist operation of the State Security Service on December 13, 2020, who committed terrorist-subversive and other criminal actions on the Azerbaijani territory, has been completed.
The investigative bodies revealed that a group of Armenians, illegally acquiring weapons, components for the weapons, ammunition, explosives and devices, created armed formations not envisaged by the law.
The members of these armed formations illegally crossed the state border of Azerbaijan on November 26-27, 2020 as an organized group, took up the combat positions in the forest and other areas in the northwestern part of the Hadrut settlement of Khojavend district.
Those individuals attacked enterprises, institutions and organizations, as well as individuals, organized explosions, fires and carried out other terrorist actions that pose a threat to the life and health of people until December 13, 2020, which may cause big damage to the property or lead to other socially dangerous consequences to violating public safety, sow panic among the population or influence the decision-making by the state authorities of Azerbaijan or international organizations.
Earlier, the public was informed that the investigation into the criminal case against 14 members of this illegal armed group was completed and, together with the indictment, was sent for court's consideration.
The investigation on the criminal case initiated in connection with the above-mentioned facts against other members of the illegal armed group, Andranik Mikaelyan, Setrak Soghomonyan, Rafik Karapetyan and others, in total 26 accused, has been completed.
Thus, the investigation has been completed under Articles 214.2.1, 214.2.3 (terrorism committed by a group of people upon prior conspiracy by an organized group or criminal association (criminal organization) by using firearms and items used as weapons), 228.3 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of weapons, components for weapons, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices by an organized group), 279.2 (an attack on enterprises, institutions, organizations or individuals as part of armed formations or groups not envisaged by the law) and 318.2 (illegal crossing of the state border of Azerbaijan by a group of people upon prior conspiracy or by an organized group) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The criminal case together with the indictment approved by the deputy prosecutor general of Azerbaijan was sent for consideration to the court.
