On April 17, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported that a public criminal prosecution has been initiated against Agshin Babirov and Husein Akhundov, citizens of Azerbaijan. They have been arrested.

In frames of the criminal proceedings, being investigated at the General Investigative Department of the National Security Service of the Republic of Armenia, it was also found out that on April 12, 2023, Husein Akhundov, the citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan, getting the guard cabin of the "Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine" CJSC, located at the settlement Shgharshik, Kapan community, Syunik region, having intention to steal the mobile phone and the car, belonging to the citizen RA - H.M., the guard of the mentioned post, with further intention to facilitate his criminal activity in reaching Iranian state border by later illegally crossing Armenian state border, as well as having intention of deprivation of one’s life, motivated by national hatred, intolerance and hostility, fired by illegally kept weapon at the citizen of RA - H.M., who was near the guard cabin, ensuring the guard of the "Zangezur Copper-Molybdenum Combine" CJSC. H.M. died instantly from the received bodily injuries.

After, Husein Akhundov having direct intention to complete his criminal intent, stole the mobile phone, cigarette and lighter lying next to the body of H.M, tried to start the engine of the parked car, however falling to enact it he escaped. Leaving the scene, Akhundov recorded a video message using the stolen phone and stated: “[…] thanks to God, we successfully reached Armenia and beheaded 400 to 500 Armenians; we are not betrayers and hope to return to Azerbaijan successfully […]”. Afterwards, Akhundov downloaded an Internet application on the stolen mobile phone and posted the recorded video message on his social network page. After that, Akhundov went to the direction of the village of Achanan of the Syunik region and on April 13, 2023, was discovered by passers-by who understood that he was a soldier of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, they disarmed him and handed over to the law enforcement authorities of the Republic of Armenia.

Based on the factual data obtained during the criminal proceedings, on April 18, 2023 the investigator submitted the motion on amending and supplementing the public criminal prosecution against Husein Akhundov and initiating a new public criminal prosecution. On the same day the motion was granted by the decision of the supervising prosecutor.

The public criminal prosecution against Husein Akhundov (father’s name: Ahliman) according to the point 2 Part 3 article 469, point 1 part 2 article 340 and part 2 article 335 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia was amended, supplemented and the new public criminal prosecution has been initiated against him for publicly dangerous actions of illegally crossing the state border of the Republic of Armenia by a group with prior consent, illegally transporting fire-arms and ammunition across the state border of the Republic of Armenia, by a group with prior consent, hiding from customs control, possessing and transporting illegal fire-arms and ammunition by a group with prior consent, for illegal deprivation of one’s life, motivated by national hatred, intolerance and hostility, for the purpose of facilitating the execution of other criminal act having mercenary reasons (point 2 part 3 article 469, point 1 part 2 article 340, part 2 article 335, points 10, 13, 15 part 2 article 155 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia).

It should be also noted that on April 17, 2023, the statements on the injuries, noted during detained Husein Akhundov’s body examination while entering the penitentiary institution, were received in the Prosecutor General’s Office from the National Security Service. At the same day the statements were sent to the Investigative Committee in order to consider the initiation of the criminal proceedings, to find out the circumstances of the physical injuries. On April 18 2023 the criminal proceedings have been initiated according to the point 5 part 2 article 195 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Armenia (physical impact by a group).

Notice:  A person charged with any crime shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty in the manner prescribed by the Criminal Procedure Code – by the judgment came into legal force.