BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 1. A criminal case in connection with the events in the village of Meshali in Azerbaijan's Khojaly district was initiated on January 11, 1992, Senior Assistant to the Prosecutor General for Special Assignments, Ilgar Safarov, told Trend.
"A criminal case on the facts of genocide, deportation of Azerbaijanis, destruction, damage to rural and state property, and causing material damage on a large scale in the village of Meshali was initiated on January 11, 1992," he said.
Employees of the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan inspected the scene of the incident in the village of Meshali on January 11, 1992.
As a result of a long investigation, the identity of one of the criminals, Vagif Cherkezovich Khachatryan, was established. The senior assistant to the Prosecutor General for Special Assignments reported that since 2013, Vagif Khachatryan had been on the international wanted list.
Additionally, the investigation into the criminal case brought by the Military Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan under the pertinent sections of the Criminal Code regarding the facts of genocide, deportation of Azerbaijanis, and destruction of numerous properties belonging to rural residents and the nation on December 22, 1991, in the village of Meshali in Azerbaijan's Khojaly district by illegal Armenian armed formations is still ongoing.
The investigation established that Vagif Cherkezovich Khachatryan, born in 1955, a citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan, born in Badara village of Askaran district and working as a driver in Khankendi city automobile transport company, residing in Meshali village, together with other people of Armenian nationality, used various weapons, including firearms and infantry fighting vehicles, to completely destroy the village.
Using various weapons, including firearms and infantry fighting vehicles, they raided the village and killed 25 people of Azerbaijani nationality, injured 14 people, and, contrary to national and international law norms, expelled 358 Azerbaijanis from their domicile.
In addition, Vagif Cherkezovich Khachatryan continued his criminal actions together with his accomplices, destroying and damaging property belonging to the state and villagers, causing a total of 5.5 million manat ($3.2 million) of material damage.
Due to the fact that sufficient reasonable suspicions arose regarding the criminal case, it was decided to involve Vagif Cherkezovich Khachatryan as an accused person under articles 103 (massacre) and 107 (deportation or forced movement of the population) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. However, due to the fact that his whereabouts were unknown to the investigation, on November 12, 2013, an international arrest warrant was issued by the court's decision.
In general, as a result of the search activities carried out, Vagif Khachatryan was detained by the servicemen of the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the Lachin border checkpoint on the Azerbaijani-Armenian border on July 29, 2023, while trying to leave for the Republic of Armenia for medical treatment through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross.