Taking into account that the first year of 2020 Artsakh war passed, being guided by the need to raise public awareness of the outcomes of criminal proceedings, the RA Prosecutor General's Office presents war crimes committed by the military and political leadership and armed forces of Azerbaijan, representing summary of information on criminal cases in the phase of investigation as of September 15, 2021 as far as it doesn’t harm the normal course of the examinations.
Besides, more than 2150 criminal cases are being investigated at the General Military Investigative Department of the RA Investigative Committee, Territorial Subdivisions of the RA Investigative Committee, Investigative Department of the RA NSS and the RA SIS under the control and procedural supervision of the RA Prosecutor's Office.
In particular, criminal cases under Articles 217, 217.1, 226, 384, 387, 389, 390, 391, 394, 395, 397.1 of the RA Criminal Code on the facts of war crimes committed by the military and political leadership and armed forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan, large-scale preliminary investigation is being carried out within the framework of 2 proceedings under investigation of the case of conducting an aggressive war against the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Artsakh. Subjects of examination are in particular:
- Numerous cases of ignoring the ban on the use of numerous international treaties, norms of customary international humanitarian law, prohibited means of leading war and strategies, unleashing an aggressive war motivated by national hatred, during which not only Armed Forces of Armenia and Artsakh were targeted but also military infrastructures, equipment, civilian population of peaceful settlements, intentionally causing death of servicemen, civilians, causing enormous property damage by means of almost all types of weapons from 27 September 2020 to 9 November 2020 by the military-political leadership of the Republic of Azerbaijan against the Republic of Armenia,
- During the armed conflict by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Artsakh, as well as after the signing of a trilateral declaration on the ceasefire, the abduction of servicemen and civilians of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh, the gross violation of international conventions, a number of norms of international humanitarian law, numerous cases of inhuman and degrading treatment of human beings,
- By means of violating relevant norms of customary international humanitarian law by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, motivated by national hatred both during hostilities and after the signing of a trilateral declaration on the establishment of a ceasefire, many cases of defilement of Armenian historical monuments, subjects having historical or cultural value,
- Cases of using internationally prohibited weapons, including chemical weapons, against the servicemen of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh in the course of hostilities,
- Cases of public calls for justifying the genocide against Armenians on the basis of national belonging , inciting hostility, hatred and violence,
- The involvement of international terrorist groups from the Middle East, the recruitment of mercenaries of international terrorist groups during the aggressive war against Armenia, the transfer of thousands of mercenary terrorists to Turkey through military operations, the financing of international terrorism within the framework of the prior agreement of military and political officials.
- In the territory of the Republic of Armenia, near Yeraskh village, the case of hitting “MI 24” military helicopter of the Russian Armed Forces by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia by means of using missiles, in the result of which two people were killed and one person was injured.
During the preliminary investigation under Articles 226, 384, 387, 390, 391, 393.1 and 395, 217, 34-390, 389 of the RA Criminal Code, 40 people were involved as accused, including high rank officials of the military and political leadership and armed forces of the Republic of Armenia, as well as mercenaries and international terrorists.
In general detention was chosen as a measure of restraint against them, and they were declared internationally wanted.
A criminal case was sent to the court on 2 persons separated with the episode on international terrorism, in the result of which they were convicted.
Large-scale investigative-operative measures continue to be taken within the framework of the preliminary investigation. In many episodes, on the basis of relevant instructions given by the prosecutors, all possible legal measures are being undertaken: in order to provide full scope of evidence regarding illegal actions, to define the real number of Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan, the torture and aggression against the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Artsakh committed by the representatives of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan, military and political officials.
