The Investigative Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan conducted an investigation based on the requests of the Western Azerbaijan Community , the State Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons and the State Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons.
According to the documents stored in the State Archives of the Republic of Azerbaijan, since the early 20th century, armed groups formed under the leadership of individuals of Armenian origin, launched active actions aimed at committing crimes against peace and humanity, against the people of Azerbaijani origin living in the lands of Western Azerbaijan.
Thus, by March 1918, a total of 198 villages of Iravan Governate predominantly populated by ethnic Azerbaijanis – 32 villages in İravan District, 84 villages in Echmiadzin district, 7 villages in Novo-Beyazid district and 75 villages in Surmeli district – were destroyed by Armenian armed groups and approximately 135.000 Azerbaijanis were subjected to deportation and genocide in those incidents.
As continuation of the same criminal purpose, from 1948 to 1953, more than 150.000 Azerbaijanis were massively and forcibly expelled from their ancestral homes in the territory of the Armenian SSR, thousands of people, including the elderly and children died due to enduring harsh conditions of exile, severe climate change, physical shocks and mental suffering.
The mentioned crimes were continued in a planned manner and from 1988 to 1992, more than 250.000 Azerbaijanis living in 185 settlements of Western Azerbaijan were forcibly expelled from their native lands and homes by the Armenian government, "Karabagh" and "Krunk" committees. 216 Azerbaijanis were deliberately killed with special cruelty by Armenian armed forces and subjected to genocide.
Taking into account that the abovementioned facts enclose elements of the crimes envisaged in the international and domestic legislation, the Prosecutor General’s of the Republic of Azerbaijan initiated a criminal case under Articles 103 (genocide), 107 (deportation or forced transfer of the population), 109 (persecution), 120.2.4 (intentional murder with special cruelty) and 120.2.7 (murder of two or more persons) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Investigation of the criminal case was delegated to the Investigative Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
It is planned to send requests for legal assistance to the prosecutor's offices of other countries and to cooperate with international organizations during the preliminary investigation of the criminal case.
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