BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 1. Events in Azerbaijan's Meshali village (Khojaly district) are among the numerous massacres committed by Armenian armed formations against the Azerbaijani people from 1989 to 1992, Senior Assistant to the Military Prosecutor of Azerbaijan Ismayil Aliyev said, Trend reports.
According to him, a criminal case has been initiated and preliminary investigative actions have been carried out in connection with the massacre in Meshali, but due to the combat conditions at that time, it wasn't possible to conclude the investigation. Subsequently, the investigation was successfully resumed and established that Vagif Khachatryan, along with other members of an illegal Armenian armed formation, committed an armed attack on the village, killing 25 people and inflicting bodily harm of varying degrees on its 14 residents. They also forcibly displaced 338 people from their lawful place of residence.
"The commitment of this crime by Khachatryan is fully proven based on the testimonies of witnesses and victims," the official said.
He noted that in 2013, Khachatryan was charged under Articles 103 and 107 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan in connection with the massacre in Meshali and was declared internationally wanted, and an arrest warrant was issued against him. Since then, negotiations were conducted with international organizations regarding Khachatryan's search.
As a result of the conducted search measures, on July 29, 2023, Khachatryan was detained by the military personnel of the State Border Service at the Lachin border crossing point of the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border while trying to go to the Republic of Armenia for treatment through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Investigation of criminal case initiated by the Azerbaijani Military Prosecutor's Office on relevant articles of the Criminal Code on massacre and deportation of persons of Azerbaijani nationality, destruction and harm of public and private properties resulting large-scale damage caused by members of illegal Armenian armed groups on December 22, 1991 in Meshali village of Khojaly district is ongoing.
The investigation established that a citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan Khachatryan, who was born in 1955 in Badara village of Khojaly (former Asgaran) district and worked as a driver in Khankendi city automobile transport company, together with other people of Armenian nationality, used various weapons, including firearms and infantry fighting vehicles, to kill all Azerbaijani residents of Meshali village (Khojaly district) as a single national group.
In addition, Khachatryan continued his criminal actions together with his accomplices, destroying and damaging property belonging to the state and villagers, causing a total of over 5.96 million manat ($3.5 million) of material damage.