Azerbaijan confirms arrest of former head of Karabakh separatists

Published October 05,2023

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Azerbaijani authorities on Thursday mentioned they arrested and charged Araik Harutyunyan, who headed separatists within the Karabakh area, for unleashing and waging an aggressive warfare, and terrorism.

“On Oct. 3 of this year, Araik Harutyunyan was detained in the city of Khankendi by employees of the State Security Service,” mentioned a joint assertion by the Prosecutor General’s Office and State Security Service (SGB).

The launch offered an intensive listing of expenses introduced towards Harutyunyan, together with “planning, preparation, unleashing or waging an aggressive war,” “violation of international humanitarian law during armed conflicts,” “inaction or giving criminal orders during an armed conflict,” “premeditated murder,” terrorism, financing of terrorism and “conducting exercises for the purpose of terrorism.”

The former Karabakh chief can be accused of “organization of a criminal community,” and “creation of armed formations or groups not provided for by law.”

“The investigation established reasonable suspicions of Araik Harutyunyan, a native of Khankendi (born in 1973), acting as the ‘president’ of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, participated in conducting an aggressive war on the territory of Azerbaijan, engaged in attracting, training and financing mercenaries, as well as organizing their use in military conflict and military operations, violated the norms of international humanitarian law, gave criminal orders,” the assertion mentioned.

Harutyunyan can be accused of organizing the mining of Azerbaijani territories to conduct terrorist assaults, in addition to organizing assaults on the town of Ganja and settlements of Barda district, which have been shelled with rockets in October 2020, resulting in civilian casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.

An Azerbaijani courtroom had ordered Harutyunyan’s arrest on Oct. 28, 2020, and his identify was placed on the worldwide wished listing, in line with the press assertion.