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Former PoWs testify about severe tortures in Armenian captivity

09 June 2021 [16:51] - TODAY.AZ

By Azernews


By Vafa Ismayilova

Former Azerbaijani prisoners of war have testified in court that they had been severely tortured by the Armenians in captivity, Trend reported on June 9.

Former POW Kamil Babayev made the remarks at the trial of Armenian citizens Ludvik (Ludwig) Mkrtichyan and Alesha Khosrovyan, who have been arrested on charges of torturing Azerbaijani captives during the first Karabakh war in the early 1990s.

“Ludvik Mkrtichyan and Alyosha Khosrovyan subjected the captives to severe torture,” Babayev said, adding that he had been held in the Armenian captivity for over a year.

"I was held captive in Shusha and Khankandi. We were subjected to various types of torture. The Armenians, who are currently in court, mistreated us. The time has come, justice has triumphed, now they will be punished," he said.

Another former POW Javid Huseyn, who was tortured by Armenian militants Mkrtichyan and  Khosrovyan in the Shusha prison during the first Karabakh war, also spoke about the tortures he had faced.

"We were forced to clear ice from the area in front of the Shusha prison, and then we were beaten with an iron bar and buried in the snow," Huseyn said.

Former captive Garib Valiyev said that once Mkrtichyan beat and tortured him till the evening.

“I was taken hostage by the Armenian military in 1999 when I was grazing cattle in the direction of Tapgaragoyunlu village. I was taken to the Shusha prison, where I was tortured. I saw Mkrtichyan in a military uniform in Lachin region,” he said.

Valiyev stressed that Mkrtichyan, who was also a translator from the Azerbaijani language, kicked him in the chest and began to torture him.

"I got hit in the face, then I got stabbed in my knee. Mkrtichyan put a bag on my head and began to torture me again in the office. Once he beat me till evening. Mkrtichyan tried to find out the location of the nearest military unit. He wanted me to confess that I was a secret service agent. He speaks Azerbaijani fluently,” he said.

Valiyev said that he remained in the Armenian captivity for two months.

 “After the International Committee of the Red Cross took control of my situation, the torture stopped. After returning, I was on treatment for a month."

While answering the prosecutor's questions, Valiyev said that during the preliminary investigation Mkrtichyan recognized him.

"At the first confrontation he recognized me, but at the second he began to deny it," Valiyev added.

The trial of Mkrtichyan and Khosrovyan was held in Baku's Yasamal district court. The trial was presided over by Baku Military Court judge Elbay Allahverdiyev.

During the trial, the defendants' lawyers filed a petition, asking to allow the accused to sit near the lawyers and the petition was satisfied.

The prosecutor announced the indictment during the trial. Under the indictment, Ludvik Mkrtchyan tortured Azerbaijani prisoners during the first Karabakh war.

The next court session is scheduled for June 16.

The Prosecutor-General's Office earlier stated that under President Ilham Aliyev's instructions those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity will be identified and brought to justice regardless of the time of the crime.


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