13:40

Investigation underway into information provided by Madat Babayan about Khojaly genocide

Acts of terror and other grave crimes committed by illegal Armenian armed groups in the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan are being investigated.

As a result of the local anti-terror measures carried out in September 2023, Madat Arakeli Babayan armed with a “AKM” assault rifle and suspected in committing of  acts of terror in pursuit of ethnic bigotry and enmity within an organized group was disarmed and detained in Gozlukorpu village of Kalbajar district.

During the investigation, the accused Madat Babayan stated in his testimony among other details, that he was involved in perpetrating the Khojaly tragedy in February 1992, on February 24, 1992, under the leadership of lieutenant-colonel Arkadi Shirinyan of the Armenian armed forces nicknamed “Kholostoy” and within an armed unit comprised of residents of Chapar, Gozlu and Gozlukorpu villages of Kalbajar district, as well as other armed Armenians from Yayiji, Heyvali and Zaylik villages of Kalbajar district, arrived to the village of Tazabina of Khojaly district and, in accordance with a pre-arranged plan to destroy the Azerbaijani population, at 11 pm on February 25, 1992, during an attack on Khojaly town from the direction of Khankendi city, followed, ambushed and killed with automatic firearms a group of civilian residents consisting of more than 150 people, most of whom were women, children and elderly people who wanted to flee to Asgaran district to save their lives.

On February 26, 1992, Madat Babayan observed Vamik Petrosyan, Shirin Shirinyan and other members of the group committing insulting actions over bodies while collecting corpses of azerbaijanis and alsowitnessed more than 100 Khojaly civilians being taken prisoner.

Madat Babayan stated that together with other Armenian militants in Khojaly, he set up an armed post at the Khojaly-Ballija-Khankendi road junction in the direction of Khankendi on February 26, 1992 in order to conceal the facts of the looting of property of Azerbaijani residents and massacre of civilians and stated that three days after the massacre committed in the city, the corpses of the Azerbaijanis killed in Khojaly were delivered to the post in three trucks and then dumped into an excavated area on the left bank of the Gargar River about 400 meters from the post, and buried en masse and he also provided information about lootings committed in February-March 1992 in Khojaly.

Giving an on-site verification testimony, Madat Babayan provided detailed information by visually showing locations where criminal acts against the civilian population were committed.

In addition, Madat Babayan also demonstrated sites where he had personally buried the bodies of Azerbaijanis who were captured and illegally detained in Gozlukorpu village school, and then died as a result of mistreatment and torture.

A comprehensive investigation is underway into the mentioned and other related crimes.