Search and excavation of mass grave found around Asgaran fortress continues

The State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons reported that the search and excavation of the mass grave found around the Asgaran fortress continues, Azernews reports.

It was noted that after the anti-terrorist measures of local character conducted in September 2023, Beglaryan Rashid Aramayi was detained on suspicion of torturing Azerbaijani captive hostages during the First Garabagh War, as well as committing war crimes against peace and humanity, and by Articles 112 and 113 of the Criminal Code, he was brought to criminal responsibility as an accused under Articles 115.2, 279.1, and 318.1.

In the course of the investigation, it was established that up to 200 civilians, mostly women, children, and elderly people, had been killed on February 26, 1992, by illegal Armenian armed groups, of which he was a member, as a result of an ambush and automatic weapons fire in the area of the Asgaran fortress, and that the personal belongings of the victims had been looted.

He said that the bodies were buried in the area and clearly showed the places where the criminal acts were committed.

Last November, the working group of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages, and Missing Persons, with the participation of the expert personnel of the relevant structures, started the search and excavation works in the territory mentioned by Rashid Beglaryan.

Even though unfavourable weather conditions led to a temporary cessation of excavations, later the search and excavation work around Asgaran fortress were resumed. In the process of excavation, a mass grave was discovered, where the bodies of more than 8 people were buried, presumably belonging to the citizens killed during the Khojaly genocide.

Search, excavation, and exhumation works continue in the territory.