(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 1. The residents of
Azerbaijan's Meshali village have addressed an open letter to the
international community, trend reports.
"We, the residents of Meshali village in the Khojaly district,
where Azerbaijani civilians fell victim to genocide committed by
Armenian armed formations in December 1991, are well aware of the
war criminal Vagif Khachatryan, who was recently detained at the
Lachin checkpoint. His hands are stained with the blood of innocent
people - women, infants, and elders," the letter said.
"For 32 years, no international organization has shown interest
in the genocide committed against the residents of Meshali village.
No human rights organization has raised a voice of protest against
Armenia, as if nothing had happened. They did not see or hear about
this tragedy, but we know very well that they did not want to see
or hear about it," the letter noted.
"As soon as the war criminal Vagif Khachatryan was arrested,
various organizations emerged one after another, calling for his
release," the letter pointed out.
"Today, hundreds of families from Meshali live compactly in a
settlement for displaced persons in Goranboy. Every resident of
Meshali demands to bring Vagif Khachatryan and other similar war
criminals to justice in Azerbaijan. Those who call for the release
of Khachatryan should be ashamed before the people of Meshali,
Khojaly, and the Azerbaijani nation," the letter also said. "When
will you defend our rights? If the international community had
responded timely to the Meshali massacre and taken the necessary
measures, such atrocities would not have been repeated in
Garadaghly, Khojaly, Aghdaban, Balligaya, and Bashlibel."
"We regret that despite Azerbaijan's goodwill, the Armenians
abuse the medical evacuation service of the International Committee
of the Red Cross, attempting to exploit it for smuggling and the
escape of criminals like Khachatryan," the letter further noted.
"The measures taken to hold Khachatryan accountable have no
relation to the Armenian civilian residents of Karabakh. We look
forward to the day when we return to Khojaly, to our homes."
"We have never held animosity towards peaceful people, unlike
persons like Khachatryan. We, the residents of Meshali, who have
experienced such a heavy tragedy, continue to show wisdom and
declare that we want to live in peace, and we have no problem for
living side by side with Armenians. However, the lawful punishment
of war criminals is a crucial condition for ethnic reconciliation.
Unfortunately, even after the 2020 second Karabakh war, Armenia has
taken no steps to hold these war criminals accountable," the letter
authors emphasized.
Investigation of criminal case initiated by the Azerbaijani
Military Prosecutor's Office on relevant articles of the Criminal
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 December 22, 1991 in Meshali village of Khojaly
district is ongoing.
The investigation established that a citizen of the Republic of
Azerbaijan Khachatryan, who was born in 1955 in Badara village of
Khojaly (former Asgaran) district and worked as a driver in
Khankendi city transport company, together with other people of
Armenian nationality, used various weapons, including firearms and
infantry fighting vehicles, to kill all Azerbaijani residents of
Meshali village (Khojaly district).
The assailants attacked the village, killed 25 and injured 14
people of Azerbaijani nationality, and, contrary to national and
international law norms, expelled 358 Azerbaijanis from their
domicile.
In addition, Khachatryan continued his criminal actions together
with his accomplices, destroying and damaging property belonging to
the state and villagers, causing a total of over 5.96 million manat
($3.5 million) of material damage.
Due to the fact that sufficient reasonable suspicions arose
regarding the criminal case, it was decided to involve Khachatryan
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 issued by an Azerbaijani court's
decision.
As a result of the conducted search measures, on July 29, 2023,
Khachatryan 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.
