On February 18, the trial against the political and military leadership of Artsakh continued in Baku.

In the Baku court, Tugay Rahimli, assistant to the Prosecutor General for special assignments, presented the articles of the Criminal Code under which Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Davit Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, Davit Manukyan, Madat Babayan, Melikset Pashayev, Garik Martirosyan, Levon Balayan, Gurgen Stepanyan, Vasili Beglaryan, Erik Ghazaryan, and Davit Allahverdyan are accused.

Thus, the reading of the final part of the indictment has concluded, reports Minval.az .

The prosecutor stated that “between 1988 and 2024, Armenians killed 18,850 people.”

Presiding judge Zeynal Aghayev presented to Arayik Harutyunyan and Arkadi Ghukasyan the nature of the charges against them, the legal qualification of their alleged acts, the penalties prescribed for those acts, and the rights of the accused, and asked whether they plead guilty.

Arayik Harutyunyan and Arkadi Ghukasyan requested a private meeting with their defense attorneys before responding to the questions.

The next court session is scheduled for February 20.

In the previous session, Azerbaijan accused Armenians of involving "mercenaries," leveled charges against VOMA and the Black Panther detachment, and even mentioned ASALA, which had long announced the cessation of its activities.

Vardanyan's case is being examined separately. He faces approximately 45 new charges under 20 articles of Azerbaijan's Criminal Code and faces life imprisonment.