BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 12. The verdict of Rashid Beglaryan, accused of terrorism and committing genocide against Azerbaijanis in Khojaly, has been handed down, Trend reports.
According to the information, Beglaryan was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment during the judicial session that took place in the Sabunchu District Court, which was presided over by Judge Ali Suleymanov of the Fuzuli Military Court.
In its ruling, the court determined that Rashid Beglaryan was sane at the time of the offense and did not suffer from any mental illness.
The materials of the criminal case were announced. It was decided to finalize the court investigation. The defendant did not object to the completion of the judicial inquiry.
Following the meeting, the court announced the verdict. Beglaryan was sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment.
Furthermore, it was noted that he will spend 5 years in prison and the rest of the time in a high-security penitentiary institution.
Based on information disseminated by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan, Beglaryan is suspected of torturing Azerbaijani prisoners of war and other persons protected by international humanitarian law who were previously held in the children's hospital No. 3 in the city of Khankendi with restriction of freedom, committing other serious crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, as well as participating in the activities of Armenian illegal armed groups He was arrested on charges under Articles 112, 113, 115.2, 279.1, and 318.1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The persons who were subjected to the tortures mentioned above were identified and recognized as victims in this criminal case.
During the interrogation, the accused, Rashid Beglaryan, reporting his involvement in the Khojaly tragedy of February 1992, stated that the Armenian Armed Forces and Armenian illegal armed formations acting under their command attacked Khojaly, mainly populated by civilians, from Khankendi on February 25, 1992. According to a pre-established plan, false promises were made to the surviving Azerbaijani civilians that they could safely pass through the Askeran district in the direction of the Aghdam district. The armed formations, of which Beglaryan was a member, ambushed and killed up to 200 civilians, mostly women, children, and the elderly, who were moving along the Gargarchay coast towards Aghdam district to massacre civil Azerbaijanis on February 26, 1992, using automatic weapons near Askeran fortress. After members of the criminal group looted the personal belongings of the dead, their bodies were buried around the Askeran fortress.
In his on-the-spot testimony, Rashid Beglaryan described in great detail the events leading up to and including his illegal activities against the civilian population.
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