Investigation of criminal case initiated by the Prosecution of Azerbaijan on relevant articles of the Penal Code on massacre and deportation of persons of Azerbaijani nationality, destruction and harm of public and private properties resulting large-scale damage caused by members of illegal Armenian armed groups on 22nd December 1991 in Meshali village of Khojaly district is ongoing, according to the press-service of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
The investigation established that on the mentioned date, Vagif Cherkezovich Khachaturyan, born in 1955, a citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan, born in Badara village of Askaran district and worked as a driver in Khankendi city automobile transport company, residing in Meshali village, together with other people of Armenian nationality, used various weapons, including firearms and infantry fighting vehicles, to completely destroy the village.
Using various weapons, including firearms and infantry fighting vehicles, they raided the village and killed 25 people of Azerbaijani nationality, injured 14 people, and contrary to national and international law norms expelled 358 Azerbaijanis from their domicile.
In addition, Vagif Cherkezovich Khachaturyan continued his criminal actions together with his accomplices, destroying and damaging property belonging to the state and villagers, causing a total of 5 million 496 thousand 900 manats of material damage.
Due to the fact that sufficient reasonable suspicions arose regarding the criminal case, it was decided to involve Vagif Cherkezovich Khachaturyan as an accused person under articles 103 (massacre) and 107 (deportation or forced movement of the population) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. However, due to the fact that his whereabouts were unknown to the investigation, on November 12, 2013, an international arrest warrant was applied by the court’s decision.
As a result of the conducted search measures, on July 29, 2023, Vagif Khachaturyan was detained by the military personnel of the State Border Service at the Lachin border crossing point of the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border while trying to go to the Republic of Armenia for treatment through the mediation of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Vagif Khachaturyan will be explicitly placed in a medical facility in Baku, provided with the necessary medical assistance and conditions for ICRC representatives to visit him.
At present, the operative and investigative measures are being conducted to bring the other accused persons to justice.
