Baku court sentences three Armenian defendants to life imprisonment in war crimes trial; others get 19–20 years

Judges at the Baku Military Court on Tuesday continued delivering verdicts in the trial of Armenian citizens accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan.

According to anews, the court sentenced Levon Mnatsakanyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, and David Manukyan to life imprisonment. State prosecutors had sought life sentences for all three defendants.

The court said that although Bako Sahakyan and Arkadi Ghukasyan were found guilty of crimes punishable by life imprisonment, such a sentence could not be imposed because both had reached the age of 65 before the final verdict, as stipulated by Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code.

As a result Bako Sahakyan was sentenced to 20 years in prison, Arkadi Ghukasyan was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors had also requested 20-year prison terms for both Sahakyan and Ghukasyan.

The court further sentenced Madat Babayan to 19 years in prison on the same age-related legal grounds. Prosecutors had sought a 20-year term for Babayan. During the trial, Babayan confessed to participating in the Khojaly genocide as part of Armenian armed forces.

The defendants were convicted of a range of serious offenses, including the preparation and waging of an aggressive war, genocide, violations of the laws and customs of war, terrorism and financing of terrorism, and the violent seizure and retention of power, the court said.

Ishkhanyan previously served as speaker of the parliament of the former illegal regime in Nagorno-Karabakh, while Manukyan is a citizen of Armenia and a former major general of the Armenian Armed Forces, according to the court.

The trial continues as the court proceeds with the announcement of verdicts.