BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 5. Arkadi Ghukasyan, born in 1957, Bako Sahakyan, born in 1960, in the Azerbaijani city of Khankendi [the former so-called "presidents" of the defunct separatist regime in Karabakh], and [so-called "speaker of parliament" who also briefly served as acting "president" in September 2023] Davit Ishkhanyan, born in 1958, in Azerbaijan's Khojavand district, were detained following the activities carried out by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan on October 3, 2023, Trend reports.
According to the service, the detainees are charged under articles 214.2.1, 214.2.2, 214.2.3 (repeated commission of terrorism by an organized group, using firearms, explosives, and devices), 214-1 (financing terrorism), 214-3.2 (organizing exercises for terrorist purposes), 228.3 (repeated illegal acquisition, storage, transportation and transportation of firearms, their components, ammunition, eexplosives,and devices by an organized ggroup),and 279.3 (creation of armed formations or groups not provided for by law and participation in their activities) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
"During the investigation, well-founded suspicions have arisen that Ghukasyan, Sahakyan, and Ishkhanyan were involved in forming and organizing the activities of armed groups not provided for by the legislation of Azerbaijan, financing terrorism by supplying illegal armed groups who organized attacks on institutions, organizations, and individuals, resulting in casualties or other serious consequences," the service said.
Besides, as the service noted, the above persons are suspected of supplying the mentioned armed 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.
The persons committed the acts knowing that the illegal acquisition, transfer, storage, transportation, and carrying of firearms, their components, ammunition, explosive devices, cash, and other property, in whole or in part, directly and indirectly, would be used by these illegal armed groups to commit terrorist acts. Currently, investigative and operational measures are ongoing in the criminal case," the service added.
In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement [signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war], suppression of large-scale provocations in Azerbaijan's Karabakh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.
Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement], an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.
Recently, Azerbaijan has arrested a number of former "officials" of the separatist regime, including Ruben Vardanyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, and others.