287 were arrested in connection with the crimes committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis.
Military Prosecutor of Azerbaijan Khanlar Veliyev told 'Azerbaijan' newspaper, Azerbaijani law-enforcement organizations have been investigating the criminal cases related to the intolerable torture of Azerbaijani captives and hostages by the Armenian armed forces in Nagorno Karabakh and other occupied regions of Azerbaijan, as well as in Armenia, killing or crippling them, provocations and terrorist attacks committed by the Armenians, forcible displacing of population, destruction of material resources and historical monuments in the residential areas, as well as other grave crimes committed by Armenians since 1988.
According to the order of the Azerbaijan’s General Prosecutor, Interior Minister and Minister of National Security, a joint investigative-operational group was established on December 18, 2003 for investigation and legal assessment of these grave crimes committed against the Azerbaijani people, bringing the guilty persons, who participated in organizing and committing these crimes, to justice on the basis of current legislation and applying the international organizations due to the facts of violation of international law.
This group was entrusted with renewal of proceedings and investigation of the criminal cases which were stopped in different times. The investigators identified that on February 25, 1992, at about 22.00, Armenian armed forces illegally crossing the borders of Azerbaijan, as well as illegal armed groups of Nagorno Karabakh’s Armenian nationalists together with 366th regiment of former USSR’s defense ministry attacked the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly. 2nd battalion of the regiment led by commander Zarvigorov Yuriy Yuryevich and major Ohanian Seyran Mushegovich, 3rd battalion led by Nabokikh Yevgeniy Alexandrovich, chief of staff of 1st battalion Chitchiyan Valeriy Isaakoich, as well as more than 50 Armenian and other servicemen participated in this attack.
More than 90 tanks, fighting vehicles, cannon, howitzer D-30 and other modern military technical means were used in the attack. Before this, the town was under the artillery fire and then tanks, fighting and armored vehicles entered the town.
The Armenian brigands killed peaceful civilians, women, children and elders, firing on them and crushing them under the tracks of their armored vehicles. The investigators identified that Armenian illegal armed forces pursued the Azerbaijanis, who could break the siege and leave the town, and killed them in the passages, forests. Armenian militants cruelly tortured the Azerbaijani captives and hostages.
Unfathomable savageries were committed against the civilians.
Khanlar Veliyev said 5379 people of the town were deported, 613 people, including 63 children, 106 women were killed, 8 families were killed, 487 were injured, 1275 were taken captive and hostage. Nothing is known about 150 hostages, including 68 women and 26 children.
The genocide, deportation, torture were investigated in line with the norms of the international law, decisions were passed to hold accountable 287, including 239, who committed war crimes against peace and humanity, and 48, who committed banditry, premeditated murders and other grave crimes. Court passed decision on their arrest, they were declared wanted, necessary documents were sent to the relevant bodies.
Military Prosecutor said according to the judgment of the examinations, as a result of the occupation of the town of Khojaly by Armenian armed forces, destruction of the state property, Azerbaijani state and citizens suffered damage of over AZN 140 million or $170 million. The investigation continues.
Participation of servicemen of officers of 366th regiment and other persons in Khojaly genocide has been fully proved.
He noted that decisions have been passed on making those persons accountable under the articles №107 (Deportation or forced exile of population), №113 (Application of tortures), №115.4 (Deliberate murder of persons provided in article 115.1 of the present Code – shall be punished by imprisonment for the term from twelve up to fifteen years or life imprisonment) and №116.0.17 (commitment of other actions connected to rape, sexual slavery, compulsory prostitution, compulsory sterilization, compulsory pregnancy, and also sexual violence) of the Criminal Code.
Moreover, decisions on their arrest have been passed by the courts and appropriate documents were to the Interpol National Central Bureau in Azerbaijan for implementation of international searches.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
