The Court Session of Vagif Khachatryan, who was illegally arrested at the Lachin checkpoint, has started in Azerbaijan. Khachatryan is accused by the Azerbaijani authorities of “carrying out genocide in the village of Meshali in the Khojaly region as part of the Armenian armed forces.”

Judge Jamal Ramazanov of the Baku Military Court presided over trial. According to the trial, 59 people were recognized as victims of the case.

Earlier, the RA HRD reported that Vagif Khachatryan entered the military service on 1 September, 1992 and participated in combat operations after that. Before that, the latter worked in Stepanakert as an ordinary driver.

“Therefore, the statement of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan that Khachatryan committed crime in the village of Meshali on 22 December, 1991 as part of a group of Armenian armed organizations does not correspond to reality. This circumstance is confirmed by the information collected and analyzed by the Office of the Human Rights Defender, which is proved by archival documents, commanders’ orders, references documenting Khachatryan’s combat path, and family members’ testimonies.

Moreover, according to the information obtained and confirmed by the Office of the Human Rights Defender, there is no information in any international intelligence system regarding the search of Vagif Khachatryan, who was transported to Armenia for treatment and kidnapped by the Azerbaijanis,.

The Human Rights Defender emphasizes once again that Vagif Khachatryan is a person under international humanitarian protection, who was being transported to Armenia under the auspices of the ICRC to receive treatment. Therefore, depriving him of his freedom is a gross violation of international humanitarian law by Azerbaijan.

Immediately after the kidnapping of Vagif Khachatryan, calls for violence against Armenians, propaganda of hatred and enmity against Vagif Khachatryan and his relatives gained new momentum in the Azerbaijani media.

This phenomenon is another proof of the policy of Armenofobia and ethnic hatred conducted by Azerbaijan. Moreover, the Azerbaijani society, including public figures, media and officials, labeled Vagif Khachatryan as a criminal.

The Human Rights Defender emphasizes that in the conditions of the propaganda of ethnic hatred and the violation of the presumption of innocence, the fundamental rights of Vagif Khachatryan cannot be guaranteed, and the proper investigation of the case in accordance with the requirements of a fair trial cannot be ensured by a fair and impartial court.

The above provides grounds for concluding that Azerbaijan’s illegal interference with Vagif Khachatryan’s fundamental rights was/are in gross violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, bearing in mind that international legal guarantees and the criteria universally recognized in the modern civilized world are not observed.

The complete information collected by the Human Rights Defender’s staff has been sent to the competent authorities and international partners,” RA HRD reported.