BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 26. On May 26, the Baku
Court of Appeal commenced its preliminary hearing on the appeals
filed by citizens of the Republic of Armenia – Arayik Harutyunyan,
Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan,
Levon Mnatsakanyan, and others, Trend reports.
These individuals had been convicted by the Baku Military Court
for crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes resulting from
Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan, including the
preparation and waging of an aggressive war, genocide, violation of
the laws and customs of war, terrorism, financing of terrorism,
violent seizure of power, and numerous other offenses.
During the court session held at the Baku Court of Appeal under
the chairmanship of Judge Elmar Rahimov, with the participation of
Judges Emin Mehdiyev and Mehriban Garayeva, each person subject to
the appellate criminal proceedings was provided with an interpreter
in the languages they know—Armenian and Russian—as well as defense
attorneys to ensure their right to defense.
The court session was attended by representatives of the
victims, prosecutors upholding the state prosecution – Abbas
Abbasli, head of the State Prosecution Support Department of the
Prosecutor General's Office, and Anar Alakbarov and Sevinj
Gasimova, prosecutors of the same department – as well as Rufat
Mammadov, Head of the Administration of the Cabinet of Ministers,
participating as the victim on behalf of the Azerbaijani state.
During the session, the composition of the court and the
interpreters were introduced to the participants of the
proceedings, the personal identities and background information of
the convicts were verified, and their procedural rights and
obligations were explained.
The parties stated that they had no objections or challenges to
the composition of the court and the interpreters.
Furthermore, the requirements of the legislation, rights, and
duties were explained to the interpreters, and it was verified
whether the convicts had any objections to them. The authorities of
the defense counsels, the representatives of the victims, and the
prosecutors upholding the state prosecution were announced.
In his address, prosecutor Anar Alakbarov, who is upholding the
state prosecution, stated that the requirements of criminal
procedural legislation were complied with when filing the appeals.
He noted that at the current stage, the subject of the preparatory
court hearing is the possibility of scheduling the case for an
appellate review. The prosecution believes that the procedural
conditions established by legislation for initiating appellate
proceedings have been met, and the case can be scheduled for trial
without requiring additional evidence.
After discussing the positions of the parties and the motions
submitted, as well as obtaining the parties' opinions on the
submitted motions, the court retired for deliberation.
Following the deliberation, the adopted decisions were
announced, and the criminal case was scheduled for appellate
review. It was stated that the court hearing will be held on June 2
without conducting a judicial investigation or examining additional
evidence.
According to the verdict of the Baku Military Court dated
February 5, 2026, Arayik Harutyunyan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, David
Manukyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, and David Babayan were sentenced to
life imprisonment. Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan were
sentenced to 20 years, Madat Babayan and Melikset Pashayan to 19
years, Garik Martirosyan to 18 years, Davit Allahverdyan and Levon
Balayan to 16 years, and Vasili Beglaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan, and
Erik Gazaryan to 15 years of imprisonment.
