Victim Testifies On Torture And Murder In Kalbajar War Crimes Trial

In an ongoing war crimes trial, Zabil Safarov, a victim of the occupation of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar region, provided his testimony today at the Baku Military Court.

According to Azernews , Safarov described how, on April 4, 1993, Armenian armed forces entered Kalbajar and surrounded the area, capturing and holding him as a prisoner. He recalled being forcibly placed on a tank by Armenian soldiers, despite his grandmother's desperate pleas to keep him by her side. However, they ignored her request, and she was killed after expressing hope that“one day our army will reclaim this land.”

After witnessing the brutal killing of his grandmother, Safarov was taken to the village of Vang in Kalbajar, where he and others were subjected to torture. He was later transferred to the district centre, where the torment continued.

The victim shared horrific details about the treatment of other captives.“The Armenians tortured not just men, but also women, children, and the elderly. They showed no mercy,” Safarov said. He described how Armenian soldiers burned an Azerbaijani soldier's body using a heated metal rod and cut off one prisoner's ear.

Safarov also recounted witnessing the brutal murder of several Azerbaijani prisoners during his time in the "Shusha prison."“I saw one prisoner's body being burned with a cross carved into it, and several others being beaten to death by Armenian soldiers,” he said.

In another chilling account, Safarov testified that, in front of his eyes, 23 people were buried alive, with only their heads left exposed. He also recalled how many victims, unable to bear the tortures, chose to end their own lives.

“Armenian forces desecrated our cemeteries, dug up the bodies, looted them, and further humiliated the dead,” Safarov added, explaining the lasting physical effects the torture had on him. He said that his right ear now has diminished hearing, he has vision problems, and his teeth were broken during the ordeal.

This testimony is part of the ongoing trial of Armenian citizens accused of committing numerous crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and violations of the laws of war during Armenia's military aggression against Azerbaijan.

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