Sham trial of Armenian POWs continues in Baku
The Baku Court on Grave Crimes on Thursday resumed the sham trial of 14 Armenian prisoners of war (POWs), who Azerbaijan calls “terrorists”.
The captives standing trial in Baku are identified as Rafik Karapetyan, Gurgen Golyan, Hrayr Tadevosyan, Vagharshak Maloyan, Sasun Yeghiazaryan, Arsen Vardanyan, Sedrak Soghomonyan, Vahagn Behrekyan, Arman Dilanyan, Manuk Martoyan, Vels Anbardanyan, Andranik Mikayelyan and Feliks Grigoryan.
At the trial, the prosecutor read out the indictment. The Armenian POWs are facing from 14 to 20 years in prison or life sentence in Baku, Azerbaijani media reported.
According to the indictment, “having illegally acquired firearms, ammunition, explosives and devices”, they allegedly created “armed groups”, took up positions in the forest areas of Artsakh’s Hadrut region from 27 November to 13 December and committed “terrorist acts” in this territory.
The POWs were charged under four articles of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code.
Many experts, US and European lawmakers have urged Azerbaijan to end the sham trial of Armenian prisoners of war, pointing to a clear violation of international humanitarian law.