As a result of the aggression of September 13, nine Armenian servicemen were tortured and killed after coming under the control of the Azerbaijani forces. Five of them are the soldiers seen in the horrifying video of the shooting that shocked the world. The incident took place on September 13, in the position of Ishkhanasar. The next Azerbaijani video of the killing of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) was published on October 11. The brutal action of the Azerbaijani forces took place in the position of Verin Shorzha (Upper Shorzha).
Yeghishe Kirakosyan (Armenia’s Representative on International Legal Matters) - The last video was a cruel video of torture and ill-treatment, we will take steps related to it. We have identification here as well, unfortunately, they were returned dead. This is an episode of the grossest war crime, we must speak out at all instances.
In the first days of the military escalation, Azerbaijan circulated a video, allegedly providing medical aid to wounded soldier Davit Gishyan, and then returned his body. The initial investigative actions taken prove that Gishyan was tortured. Armenia filed a complaint at the ECHR. At the same time, criminal proceedings have been initiated in our country due to the fact of Azerbaijan's attack on the sovereign territory of Armenia. According to Prosecutor Martirosyan, a number of cases of war crimes were discovered.
Arshak Martirosyan (Head of the Division for Supervision over the Investigation of Especially Important Cases against the Military Service of the Republic of Armenia) - In connection with this, many videos have been spread on the Internet. They have been made the subject of investigation within the framework of the criminal proceedings, investigation and administrative actions are being taken.
According to Arshak Martirosyan, the goal is to reveal the crimes of Azerbaijani servicemen, to fix the evidence. From the moment of the circulation of the videos of the Armenian POWs in Telegram channels, Armenia applied to international legal instances.
Yeghishe Kirakosyan - We sent the video recording of the shooting to both the ECHR and The Hague, because we applied for an interim measure, and we also asked the International Court of Justice to apply the previously used measures to the new ones, the video recording was sent to the courts to present the danger that threatens to the captives.
On October 4, the Azerbaijani side returned to the Armenian side the 17 soldiers captured as a result of the latest large-scale aggression, through the mediation of the USA. Yeghishe Kirakosyan says that the facts of bad treatment towards them in Azerbaijan will also be included in the complaints sent to international courts.
Yeghishe Kirakosyan – The Defender told about it, besides, due to the preliminary evidence obtained as a result of the medical examination, it can be stated that people were subjected to torture, beatings, and the traces are there.
One of the 17 servicemen is a conscript, Vahe Gijlaryan, who fought on September 13 to prevent the advance of the enemy in the positions of Jermuk.
Vahe Gijlaryan (Conscript soldier) - We notice that the enemy is trying to bypass with large forces, go to the rear, mutual shooting starts, because our position was favorable, we manage to cause losses to the enemy without any casualties.
The incident changed the future mathematician's plans. Before being conscripted into the army, he was admitted to Yerevan State University’s data science department, studied English, engaged in programming. He read 14 books in 20 days of his stay in Azerbaijan. He will write a book about that period of his life. He intends to study Armenian and world history in detail.
Vahe Gijlaryan - My specialty is artificial intelligence, neural networks, I worked on a project that is a neural network model, putting it in a drone, would serve a specific problem. I will do my profession, but the role will change a bit. I will deal with history, there is a desire for justice, so that people talk about the correct history.
He lost comrades in arms: Aram, Edmon, who died saving the life of a friend. He also wants to continue their work by returning to the series after recovery.
Forensic examinations of the corpses of Armenian servicemen have been appointed. All these evidences will also be submitted to international legal courts.
Arshak Martirosyan - Each case is subject to a detailed investigation within the framework of separate criminal proceedings. The investigation continues in the direction of finding out the case of each committed crime, the range of persons guilty of it, and achieving criminal liability.
After widespread international reaction to the atrocities against Armenian soldiers, Baku circulated old videos unrelated to the recent aggression, claiming that Armenian soldiers tortured Azerbaijanis. According to Kirakosyan, Baku's goal is to make the impression of being a victim.
Yeghishe Kirakosyan - If we look at the videos in which the Azerbaijani servicemen commit heinous war crimes, crimes against humanity, there are hundreds of them: ill-treatment of prisoners, torture, beatings, disrespect for corpses, beheadings, shootings are enormous, the most severe. There are a few videos that are circulating on the Internet or were made during the war, supposedly of Armenian servicemen, about 2-3 videos.
Contrary to Azerbaijani claims, there is no judgment against Armenia in the European Court, no decision regarding any war crime committed by Armenian servicemen. There is hardly a single case when an Armenian killed an Azerbaijani officer in the heart of Europe and was made a hero, to brutally torture a young villager or a shepherd who went to collect wood, inject diesel fuel to an elderly citizen of Azerbaijan. In all those cases, the ECHR issued judgments against Baku, which have not yet been implemented. The execution of the decisions of the European Court is currently under the control of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
Yeghishe Kirakosyan - During the war of 2016, you will remember the case of Kyaram Sloyan, our servicemen did not have anything approaching that severity. We don't have a situation where the axed person in the heart of Europe is glorified, becomes an example, we don't have such an example. This is hate, the result of preaching at the official level of hate is this serious crime. This call is addressed to the international community, it should realize that the danger is great. Such crimes are rampant. Armenia is collecting all these evidences, they will be presented in the international court within the framework of the Convention against Racial Discrimination. They are a direct violation of that convention.
After the 44-day war, the interstate complaint "Armenia vs. Azerbaijan" submitted to the European Court is under investigation by the Grand Chamber. The exchange of positions by written procedure is in the final stage. The Grand Chamber will hear the case in public next year. The lawsuit against Azerbaijan is also in the European Court regarding the illegal trials of Armenian prisoners, violations of people's rights as a result of the presence of Azerbaijani forces in the sovereign territory of Armenia, the cases of Karaglukh, Parukh, Aghavno. According to Yeghishe Kirakosyan, in the near future they will summarize the main claim to the International Court of Justice of the United Nations and submit it to The Hague by January 23.
