BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 23. During the ongoing court proceedings at the Baku Military Court on June 23, defendant Arayik Harutyunyan, while responding to questions from the state prosecutor, provided details about the so-called "banking system" of the regime that had operated in Azerbaijani territories formerly occupied by Armenia.
Harutyunyan stated that he had also worked at one of the bank’s branches during the so-called regime. According to him, Artsakhbank - the main bank of the illegal regime - had been registered by the Armenian National Bank, with its official registration in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, and its main branch located in Khankendi, a city that was under Armenian occupation at the time. He further noted that the “bank” also had branches in other occupied Azerbaijani territories.
“This bank had no special advantages or privileges over other banks in Armenia,” Harutyunyan said.
He also revealed that other Armenian banks had branches operating in the occupied Azerbaijani territories, though they were reportedly operating at a loss.
The trial continues against Armenian nationals charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, aggression, terrorism, violations of the laws of war, financing terrorism, the violent seizure and retention of power, and other serious offenses.