Ishkhanyan admits receiving award for fighting Azerbaijani army

Citizens of the Republic of Armenia Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Gukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan and others, who are accused of crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including preparation and conduct of aggressive war, genocide, violation of the laws and customs of war, as well as terrorism, financing of terrorism, forcible seizure of power, forcible retention of power and numerous other crimes committed within Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan, had their open court hearing continued on April 3.

Report informs that during the session held at the Baku Military Court, presided over by judge Zeynal Aghayev, with Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge Gunel Samadova), each of the accused persons was provided with an interpreter in the language they understand, as well as lawyers for their defense.

At the meeting, the accused persons, their defenders, some of the victims, their legal heirs and representatives, as well as prosecutors defending the state accusation participated.

During the court process, prosecutors defending the state accusation directed questions to Davit Ishkhanyan, who worked as the "parliament speaker" and in other "positions" of the illegal regime once existed in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region.

The accused person answered questions about his functions and duties within the criminal organization, the forcible seizure of power in Azerbaijan's sovereign territories formerly occupied by Armenia, the activities of the illegal regime's "parliament," his functions and duties as an "MP" and "parliament speaker" in that "entity," his degree of participation and role in the illegal armed formation called the "self-defense battalion," the ideology of the Dashnaktsutyun party, its directions of activity, political connections, the party's activities in Azerbaijan's sovereign territories, his position and role within the party, as well as the role and participation of the Armenian state, its state institutions, armed forces, and high-ranking officials in the mentioned processes.

While answering the questions of state prosecutor Vusal Abdullayev, Davit Ishkhanyan admitted that he had held the position of "battalion commander" in the illegal regime since the summer of 1992 and participated in the war against Azerbaijan.

Davit Ishkhanyan said that he was an active member of the Dashnaktsutyun party and served as the party's "faction leader" in the illegal regime's "parliament" for two years.

The accused person has admitted that he joined the war against Azerbaijan in the summer of 1992 as a member of the "Dashnaktsutyun" party.

While answering questions from the Prosecutor General's senior assistant Vusal Aliyev, who supported the state prosecution, Davit Ishkhanyan stated that the management of the illegal regime's "army" was carried out by the "self-defense committee," saying: "The leaders were Serj Sarkisyan and Samvel Babayan. But I cannot say anything about the management mechanism."

While answering questions from Nasir Bayramov, head of department at the Prosecutor General's Office for the Defense of State Prosecution, he noted that during the First Karabakh War, when he was a "battalion commander," he was subordinate to Monte Melkonyan.

Ishkhanyan admitted that during the war he fought against Azerbaijani soldiers in Aghdara, Khojavand, Kalbajar, and Aghdam.

"There were 8 battalions in Khojavand, and I was the 'commander' of one of them. The eight battalions were subordinate to the 'defense line' of the region, led by Monte Melkonyan, and the 'army' commander was Samvel Babayan," he stated.

During the court process, state prosecutor Fuad Musayev asked the accused Davit Ishkhanyan about weapons, ammunition, and communication devices found in his hotel called "Park" in October 2023, after Azerbaijan's state sovereignty was restored. Ishkhanyan said that the communication devices belonged to the hotel, but regarding the weapons and ammunition, he blamed other Armenian residents, noting: "In my opinion, residents who came from Aghdara a week before the incident were staying at that hotel. They probably left them there."

The accused person admitted to meeting with military personnel at a military unit in the then-occupied Khojavand district of Azerbaijan during the Second Karabakh War: "My younger son was serving there. And as an 'MP' it was my duty to do these things."

He also stated that he was awarded for fighting against Azerbaijani soldiers: "The 'Combat Cross' order was given to me for my combat activities."

Ishkhanyan responded to the state prosecutor's question, "In a press conference on August 30, 2023, you stated that you sent open letters to parliamentary leaders of Russia, Iran, France, the USA, and European countries, calling on them to put pressure on Azerbaijan. What was the content of these letters? What kind of pressure on Azerbaijan were you calling for?" as follows: "Yes, I sent such letters. But I don't know whether those letters reached their destinations."

The accused person answered state prosecutor Vusal Abdullayev's question about the purpose of Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan: "I cannot say for that period because I was very young then. But when I matured, I already understood what the strategic goals and strategic principles were. The strategic goal was to annex Karabakh to Armenia."

Davit Ishkhanyan also talked about his acquaintance with Ruben Vardanyan and his stay at the hotel he owned: "I met Vardanyan in 2010 or 2011, he loved our hotel. He held meetings at the hotel around the time he became 'state minister' or afterward."

He stated that his birth certificate indicates he was born in the Azerbaijan SSR, but he is a citizen of the Republic of Armenia: "After the collapse of the Soviet Union, like 150,000 Armenian residents, I accepted citizenship of the Republic of Armenia. I have a passport of the Republic of Armenia. I am a citizen of the Republic of Armenia. This is also noted in my passport, which is with the investigative authority."

The next court session is scheduled for April 4.