The Baku Court of Appeal continued hearings on July 3 regarding the appeals filed by several Armenian citizens convicted by the Baku Military Court. The defendants, including Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Gukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, and Levon Mnatsakanyan, were previously sentenced for serious crimes, including war crimes, genocide, terrorism, and the illegal seizure of power, committed during Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the court session was presided over by Judge Elmar Rahimov, with judges Emin Mehdiyev and Mehriban Garayeva in attendance. The proceedings ensured that all defendants were provided with legal counsel and interpreters in their native languages, Armenian and Russian. The session was attended by representatives of the victims and state prosecutors, including Abbas Abbasli, Anar Alakbarov, and Sevinc Gasimova from the Prosecutor General's Office.
During the session, the court addressed procedural matters, including the submission of written notes by defendant Davit Ishkhanyan. The court panel, after reviewing the materials, confirmed that the notes contained no discrepancies and ordered their inclusion in the case files. Following this, the defense counsel for David Babayan argued that the original verdict should be overturned and an acquittal issued, while both Babayan and Ishkhanyan reiterated their plea of not guilty. The court scheduled the next hearing for July 7.
These legal proceedings are part of a broader judicial effort in Azerbaijan to hold individuals accountable for crimes committed during the decades-long occupation of Garabagh. Following the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020 and the subsequent anti-terror measures in September 2023, Azerbaijan restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty. The Baku Military Court's verdict on February 5, 2026, imposed severe sentences on the defendants, with several key figures receiving life imprisonment for their roles in orchestrating military aggression and committing atrocities against civilians and military personnel.
