Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

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At a hearing held on August 25 at the Baku Military Court, survivor and witness Sabir Guliyev recounted the harrowing events surrounding the 1992 occupation of Shusha, highlighting the absence of a humanitarian corridor for civilians during the attack.

Guliyev, a native of the Göytala village of Shusha district, testified that Armenian armed forces seized the city in early May 1992, forcing him and thousands of others to flee their homes.

“My cousins, Tahir and Rafael Guliyev, were killed during the occupation. Tahir’s body has never been found,” he said.

According to Guliyev, civilians attempting to escape through Lachin came under artillery fire from the Goris direction.

“There was no humanitarian passage for us. While passing through Lachin, we were shelled. An elderly woman was killed before our eyes,” he recalled.

After Azerbaijani forces liberated the territories, Guliyev said he was able to visit his father’s grave, only to find it desecrated.

“The cemetery was vandalized, tombstones were removed, and my father’s resting place was destroyed,” he testified.

He further emphasized the widespread devastation inflicted by Armenian forces on civilian property. “They seized our homes, our livelihoods, our wealth. Villages were razed to the ground, and returning residents could not even recognize their houses. They left our land in ruins,” he said.

The trial, which is ongoing at the Baku Military Court, addresses crimes committed by citizens of Armenia during its military aggression against Azerbaijan. The charges include war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, violations of the laws and customs of war, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, and attempts to seize and retain power by force.