BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 21. Arayik Harutyunyan, unlike other defendants accused of numerous crimes against Azerbaijan, did not request to change the measure of restraint to house arrest, Trend reports.
As previously reported, the open preparatory hearing on the criminal case on crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including waging a war of aggression, genocide, forced displacement of population, persecution, torture, robbery, and other illegal acts committed by the state of Armenia and its armed forces, as well as the so-called “Nagorno-Karabakh Republic,” established by Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, and its illegal armed formations continued on January 21.
In the course of the trial, the defense motions were considered.
The attorneys of the majority of the accused requested to change the measure of restraint in the form of arrest against the persons they are defending to house arrest.
The prosecutor defending the state prosecution expressed his attitude to the motions and begged to keep the measure of restraint in the form of arrest unchanged, taking into account the personality of the accused, the gravity and nature of the acts of which they are accused, as well as the replacement of arrest by house arrest, which would prevent an objective trial.
Representatives of the victims and aggrieved persons, including Rufat Mammadov, Head of the Cabinet of Ministers Apparatus, who acted as a victim on behalf of the Azerbaijani state, requested not to satisfy the motions and leave the accused under arrest.
Judge Zeynal Aghayev allowed each of the accused to take the floor regarding the motions.
Defendant Arayik Harutyunyan noted that, unlike other defendants, he did not apply for house arrest either on behalf of his lawyer or himself and also has no complaints about his health condition. “If there are health problems, they are solved in the isolation center. In general, however, I have not heard any complaints from other defendants about their health,” he said.
Defendants Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahayan, Melikset Pashayan, and Davit Allakhverdiyan requested that the motions be granted and transferred to house arrest.
The other defendants left the issue of motions to the discretion of the court.
The next court hearing will be held on January 27, during which the decisions on the motions will be announced.
To note, the 15 persons are accused of crimes committed by the Republic of Armenia and its armed forces, including the illegal "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" created by Armenia and its illegal armed formations.
The following individuals: Harutyunyan Arayik, Ghukasyan Arkady, Saakyan Bako, Ishkhanyan David, Manukyan David, Babayan David, Mnatsakanyan Levon, Beglaryan Vasily, Ghazaryan Eric, Allahverdiyan Davit, Stepanyan Gurgen, Balayan Levon, Babayan Madat, Martirosyan Garik, and Pashayan Melikset are charged under the following articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan according to the periods of their participation in criminal acts: Article 100 (planning, preparation, unleashing or waging a war of aggression), 102 (attack on persons or institutions which enjoy international protection ), 103 (genocide), 105 (destruction of population), 106 (slavery), 107 (deportation or forced resettlement of population), 109 (persecution), 110 (forcible detention of a person), 112 (deprivation of liberty in violation of international law), 113 (torture), 114 (mercenarism), 115 (violation of the laws or customs of war), 116 (violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflicts), 118 (war looting), 120 (premeditated murder), 192 (illegal entrepreneurship), 214 (terrorism), 214-1 (financing of terrorism), 218 (organization of a criminal community (criminal organization), 228 (illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of firearms, their components, ammunition, explosives and explosive devices), 270-1 (acts endangering aviation security), 277 (encroachment on the life of a state or public figure), 278 (forcible seizure of power or forcible retention of power, forcible change of the constitutional order of the state), 279 (creation of armed formations or groups not provided for by law) and other articles.