BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 5. The State Security Service of Azerbaijan continues its investigation of a criminal case in connection with terrorist acts committed by illegal Armenian armed groups operating in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.
During the investigation, well-founded suspicions have arisen that Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan [former so-called "presidents" of the separatist regime in Karabakh], and David Ishkhanyan [so-called speaker of the "parliament" in Karabakh] were involved in forming and organizing the activities of armed groups not provided for by the legislation of Azerbaijan.
The above persons are also suspected of organizing attacks on enterprises, institutions, organizations, or individuals as part of armed groups or groups not provided for by the legislation, resulting in casualties or other serious consequences, and supplying these groups with weapons, their components, ammunition, explosives, military equipment, and military gear, as well as acquiring, transferring, storing, transporting, and carrying ammunition and explosive devices.
Additionally, they are suspected of financing terrorism by intentionally collecting, allocating, and providing money and other assets, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, knowing that these illegal armed groups would use them to commit terrorist acts.
Reasonable suspicions have also arisen that, in order to commit terrorist acts in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the above-mentioned persons, drills have been organized for the use of firearms, explosives and devices, poisonous and other generally dangerous substances, the repeated commission of terror by an organized group, using firearms, explosives and devices, i.e. disturbing public security, creating panic among the population, killing people and causing harm to their health with the aim of influencing decision-making by public authorities and international organizations, an explosion accompanied by significant property damage and other socially dangerous consequences, as well as the organization of terrorist acts through continuous mining of territories and other actions.
As a result of measures carried out by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan, Arkadi Ghukasyan, born in 1957, Bako Sahakyan, born in 1960 in Azerbaijan's Khankendi, and David Ishkhanyan, born in 1958 in Azerbaijan's Khojavand region, were detained on October 3, 2023.
They are charged under articles 214.2.1, 214.2.2, 214.2.3 (repeated commission of terror by an organized group, using firearms, explosives, and devices), 214-1 (financing of terrorism), 214-3.2 (organization of exercises for terrorist purposes), 228.3 (repeated illegal acquisition, storage, and transportation by an organized group of firearms, their component parts, ammunition, explosives, and devices), and 279.3 (establishment of armed formations or groups not provided for by law and participation in their activities) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan).