Azernews.Az

Qabil Ashirov

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On October 2, during the ongoing trial at the Baku Military Court concerning crimes committed by citizens of the Republic of Armenia, victim Ilham Mammadov gave testimony.

Azernews reports that Mammadov recounted that on May 10, 2002, while serving in the army and heading to his post in the Haram plain, he was captured by Armenian armed forces. He stated that he had been unarmed at the time. After being taken prisoner, Armenian soldiers beat and tortured him. One of the officers, he noted, displayed particular brutality. Mammadov later learned that the officer’s name was Levon.

Answering questions from state prosecutors, the victim pointed directly at the accused, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and identified him as the officer who had beaten him. He testified: “He hit me first with his fist, then with the butt of his rifle. He forced me to climb onto a trench and fired his weapon. At that moment, my back was turned toward the positions of the Azerbaijani Army. He made me stand in such a way that my own soldiers could have shot me by mistake. Later, they forced me to walk through mined areas.”

Mammadov said he was held for a week in Azerbaijani territories under Armenian occupation at the time, before being transferred to Armenia. He remained in captivity for six months and 15 days before being handed back to Azerbaijan.

Responding to questions from the defense, the victim stated that he had not known Mnatsakanyan prior to his capture and was unaware of his military rank at that time. “But from the way others treated him, I assume he was the chief of staff,” he added.

In response to Mnatsakanyan’s own questions, Mammadov confirmed that he was born in 1973 and held the rank of first lieutenant at the time of his capture. He explained: “I graduated from the Azerbaijan Agricultural Institute, which had a military department, and was granted an officer’s rank upon completion.”

The trial continues against several citizens of Armenia accused of committing numerous crimes as a result of Armenia’s military aggression, including crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, preparation and waging of an aggressive war, genocide, violations of the laws and customs of war, terrorism and its financing, the violent seizure and retention of power, and other grave offenses.