Levon Mnatsakanyan: Mines were manufactured in Armenia and delivered to Karabakh - COURT

Another court hearing was held at the Baku Judicial Complex in the criminal case against persons of Armenian origin accused of committing war crimes.

As Report informs, at the court session held in the Baku Military Court presided by Judge Zeynal Agayev, with judges Jamal Ramazanov and Anar Rzayev (reserve judge - Gunel Samedova), each of the accused was provided with interpreters in the language they speak, as well as lawyers for their defense.

The court session was attended by the accused, their defenders, some of the victims, their representatives, as well as prosecutors supporting the state prosecution.

During this trial, the accused Levon Mnatskanyan was questioned by prosecutors supporting the state prosecution, representatives of the victims, and defense attorneys.

The accused was asked questions about his functions and responsibilities within the criminal community, about the forcible seizure of power in the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan previously occupied by Armenia, including about the activities of military formations and the "army" of the puppet regime operating under the leadership and control of Armenia, about the procedure for military service, about the transportation and placement of weapons in the occupied territories, about the assignment of "ranks" in the "army" of the puppet regime, about appointments to "positions" and removals from "positions," about the approval of "staff units," about the allocation of funding, about the payment of "salaries" to military personnel in Karabakh, about conducting military exercises and assemblies, about resolving issues of military personnel responsibility, about the role and participation of the state of Armenia, its state structures, armed forces, and high-ranking officials in these processes.

The accused Levon Mnatskanyan, answering questions from Nasir Bayramov, head of the department of the State Prosecution Support Office of the Prosecutor General's Office, said that he began military service in Karabakh in 1992 and was wounded in battles on October 2 of the same year, from 1993 to 2012 he continued military service in the "army" of the self-proclaimed entity in various positions, and then was appointed deputy chief of the general staff of the Armenian armed forces. The accused, who worked in this position in 2015, said that he was appointed to the "position" of "defense minister" - "army commander" of the self-proclaimed regime that existed in the once-occupied territories. He noted that Seyran Ohanyan, who was later appointed as the Minister of Defense of Armenia, had previously held various "positions" in the self-proclaimed regime.

"And before his "positions" in Karabakh, he was a battalion commander in the 366th regiment," added Levon Mnatskanyan.

He admitted that decisions on appointments to high positions in the "army" of the self-proclaimed regime were made in Armenia. Appointments to positions of lieutenant colonel and above were carried out by the chief of the general staff of the Armenian armed forces, the minister of defense, and the president. "I, as the 'army commander,' could appoint to positions and assign ranks up to and including major," he stated.

The accused added that the financial needs of the "army" of the self-proclaimed regime were provided by the Ministry of Defense of Armenia, and armaments were fully provided by the Armenian armed forces. He further said: "We had a supply service that received (the directed weapons - ed.) and then provided them to each unit. That is, the provision of weapons was carried out by the Ministry of Defense of Armenia."

Levon Mnatskanyan, in response to questions from senior assistant to the Prosecutor General Vusal Aliyev, reported that in June 2015, he was appointed to the position of "defense minister" of the self-proclaimed regime - "army commander" by the then-president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan.

The accused stated that first, the Minister of Defense of Armenia Seyran Ohanyan presented his candidacy for this "position," and S. Sargsyan approved it.

The news is being updated...