Azerbaijan sentences another Armenian “war criminal” over involvement in massacre of civilians
- 12 July, 10:23
A court in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku on Friday sentenced Karabakhi Armenian to 15 years in prison on charges of involvement in the Khojaly massacre of Azerbaijani civilians in 1994 and terrorism against Azerbaijanis during first Nagorno Karabakh War.
Rashid Beglaryan, 62, was suspected of torturing Azerbaijani prisoners and other individuals protected by international humanitarian law, as well as committing other serious crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, and participating in the activities of illegal Armenian armed groups.
During his interrogation, Rashid Beglaryan provided information about his participation in the Khojaly massacre, meaning the killing of 613 Azerbaijani civilians in February 1992. Baku-based Turan news agency, quoted the suspect stating during the trial that on February 25, 1992, Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed groups operating under their command attacked the densely populated civilian city of Khojaly from the city of Khankendi. According to a prearranged plan, false promises were given to the surviving Azerbaijani civilians that they could safely travel towards Aghdam district through the Asgaran region. During the crime scene investigation, Rashid Beglaryan visually indicated the locations where crimes were committed against civilians and provided detailed information about these incidents.
Beglaryan will serve the first five years of his sentence in a general regime prison and the remainder in a strict regime penitentiary. Local media quoted the State Security Service as stating that individuals who were subjected to torture were identified and recognised as victims. Beglaryan was detained by Azerbaijan in August last year while trying to cross illegally from Azerbaijan to Armenia.
It should be noted that another Armenian national, Vagif Khachatryan, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in November last year on charges of taking part in a massacre of Azerbaijani civilians in the village of Meshali, near Khojaly. Khachatryan was detained in July last year while trying to cross the Lachin checkpoint.
