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Abbas Ganbay

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Investigations into terrorism and other grave offences committed by illegal Armenian armed formations in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan continue, citing the Azerbaijan State Security Service, Azernews reports.

As a result of local anti-terrorist measures carried out in September 2023, Babayan Madat Arakeli, who joined the illegal armed formations and was armed with an AKM rifle and was suspected of committing terrorist acts with the intention of national enmity and fighting as part of an organised group, was abandoned and disarmed near the village of Gozlukörpu in the Kalbajar district.

During the investigation, the accused, Madat Babayan, also indicated in his statement, among other details, that he participated in the Khojaly tragedy in February 1992, and on February 24, 1992, under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Arkady Shirinyan of the Armenian armed forces, militants nicknamed "Blank", he was killed in Chapar of the Kalbajar region.

Armenian armed formations consisting of residents of the villages of Gozlu and Gozlukörpu and other Armenian armed formations from the villages of Yaichi, Haivali, and Zaylik of Kalbajar united in the village of Tazabina in the Khojaly district. In accordance with a pre-determined plan of extermination of the Azerbaijani population, on February 25, 1992, at 23:00 hours:

At about 00:00 hours, during an attack from Khankendi in the direction of Khojaly city, more than 150 invalids, most of whom were women, children, and old people who wanted to flee to the Askeran district, were ambushed and killed by firing automatic weapons.

At the same time, Madat Babayan noted that on 26 February 1992, when the corpses of Azerbaijanis were being collected, Vamik Petrosyan, Shirin Shirinyan, and other members of the gang committed insulting acts over the corpses, and more than 100 civilians of Khojaly were captured.

Madat Babayan stated that on February 26, 1992, together with Armenian fighters in Khojaly, they had set up an armed post at the Khojaly-Ballija-Khankendi road junction in the direction of Khankendi in order to ensure the concealment of looting. He noted that three days later, the corpses of Azerbaijanis killed in Khojaly had been brought in three trucks while he was serving at the post and dumped in an excavation on the left bank of the Gargar River, some 400 metres from the post, and buried in a mass grave.

While the on-site testimony was being verified, Madat Babayan provided detailed information about it, clearly showing the locations of the criminal acts against the civilian population.

In addition, Madat Babayan also showed the places where he personally buried the corpses of Azerbaijanis captured and illegally detained in Gozlukorpu village school, who died as a result of cruel treatment and torture in Gozlukorpu village.

Complex investigations are currently being conducted into the above and other related offences.

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