2014 Kalbajar incident

Last updated

2014 Kalbajar incident refers to the crossing of a small group of Azerbaijanis into Kalbajar district, their subsequent capture and conviction for murder and sabotage by the Republic of Artsakh. In July 2014, three ethnic Azerbaijanis crossed Nagorno-Karabakh Line of Contact in to Kalbajar District, then controlled by breakaway Republic of Artsakh forces. This was followed by disappearance of 17-year-old local Smbat Tsakanyan who was later found dead from gunshot wounds and who was last seen walking with the Azerbaijanis in a video used as evidence in the trial. The Azerbaijanis were detained for "reconnaissance operations in the area on orders from Azerbaijan’s intelligence service," as well as kidnapping and killing of Tsakanyan. One of the Azerbaijanis named Hasanov attacked Major Sargis Abrahamyan and his companion Karine Davtyan on the road from Vardenis to Kalbajar, killing the first and wounding the latter, himself subsequently killed in firefight with Artsakh Defence Army servicemen. The Artsakh forces detained and convicted Asgarov and Guliyev for murdering Tsakanyan while Hasanov was posthumously convicted for killing Abrahamyan and wounding Davtyan. Asgarov and Guliyev pleaded not guilty, claiming they had crossed to Kalbajar "to visit their relatives' graves". The incident may have been a trigger of the 2014 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes in late July and early August that year. After ceasefire agreement ended the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, Armenia returned Asgarov and Guliyev to Azerbaijan, as part of a prisoner exchange.

Contents

Background on the assailants

Dilgam Asgarov, was born in 1960 in the village of Azizli in the Vardenis district of the Armenian SSR, adjacent to Kalbajar District of the Azerbaijani SSR. He served as a scout in Kalbajar on the Azerbaijani side during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War and holds Russian citizenship.

Shahbaz Guliyev, was born in 1968 in the village of Gapanli in the Tartar District of the Azerabaijani SSR. [1] Before the July 2014 incident, Asgarov lived and worked in Russia, cutting trees and selling wood, coming home only infrequently to see his family. [2]

Dilgam Asgarov's mother was buried in the village of Shaplar in the Kalbajar district taken by Armenian forces in 1993. Asgarov reportedly first crossed the Line of Contact in 1999 to visit his mother's grave. He told Azerbaijani media about his trip a few years later and went to Kalbajar several more times before his capture in 2014. Asgarov took videos and photos during his trips. On at least one occasion in 2007, he was accompanied to Kalbajar by Shahbaz Guliyev. In a video made by Asgarov during his 2007 trip to Kalbajar, he and Guliyev can be seen armed with AK machine guns with silencers, confiscated from them after their capture by Artsakh authorities in 2014. [1]

Hasan Hasanov, was born in 1978 in the Mehdili village of the Jabrayil District, previously located on the Line of Contact. According to his brother, Nayil Hasanov, he worked as a shopkeeper and taxi driver in Baku. [3] Hasanov's social media profiles stated that he was a graduate of Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military Lyceum and Azerbaijan Higher Military Academy, which would suggest he held an officer's rank in Azerbaijan's military. [1]

The incident

On June 29, 2014, Dilgam Asgarov, Shahbaz Guliyev, and Hasan Hasanov crossed the Nagorno-Karabakh Line of Contact into the Kalbajar District. In a video dated to July 2 shot by Asgarov, the three men are seen preparing food together somewhere in Kalbajar District. Asgarov states in the video that they have come to teach Hasanov about the area and calls on Azerbaijani soldiers not to be afraid to cross into Kalbajar. In another video, they are seen bearing machine guns near an Armenian sign pointing towards Kalbajar. [1]

On the night of July 3–4, 17-year-old Smbat Tsakanyan went missing from his family's farmhouse located 20-25 kilometers from Kalbajar town. His family and other locals began searching for him, but did not initially suspect that he was kidnapped. [1] In a video presented at Asgarov and Guliyev's trial, Tsakanyan and two other Azerbaijanis were apparently seen walking through a forest in Kalbajar. According to the Armenian authorities, Asgarov, who allegedly shot the video, can be heard saying that they had captured a "piglet", adding that he was about 20 years old and couldn't speak Azerbaijani, and that they could not release him because he would denounce them. During his trial, Asgarov commented on the footage saying that he and the others only asked Tsakanyan to show them the way to Kalbajar town, and that they did not kidnap him. [4]

On July 8 reports emerged in Armenia and Artsakh of two Azerbaijanis spotted near Kalbajar. A search was initiated, and Guliyev was detained that day, while Asgarov fled and was captured by July 11. At some point, Hasanov was separated from Asgarov and on July 11, he allegedly attacked Major Sargis Abrahamyan and Karine Davtyan on the road from Vardenis to Kalbajar, killing Abrahamyan and wounding Davtyan before taking their car. According to the Armenian authorities, Hasanov drove the vehicle about 7 kilometers before being stopped by servicemen of Artsakh Defence Army, after which he was killed in a firefight. Smbat Tsakanyan's body was found on July 15 in a forested area between Kalbajar and Sinigkilsa; the Armenian authorities determined the cause of his death to be multiple gunshot wounds. [1]

Hasanov's body was handed over to Azerbaijan in October 2014 and buried in Baku. [5] The Armenian authorities claim the three were performing reconnaissance operations in the area "on orders from Azerbaijan’s intelligence service," then kidnapped and killed the 17-year-old Smbat Tsakanyan. [6] The incident may have been one cause of the 2014 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes in late July and early August that year. [1]

Trial

Asgarov and Guliyev were tried in Stepanakert, the capital of the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh. In October 2014, they were charged with illegal border crossing, illegal arms possession, espionage, kidnapping, and the murder of Smbat Tsakanyan. [7] [8] Asgarov and Guliyev both pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and accused each other during the trial. Asgarov stated during the trial that he unsuccessfully tried to convince his companions not to kill Tsakanyan; Guliyev dismissed Asgarov's claims as lies. [4] The prosecution asserted that Tsakanyan was killed with an assault rifle confiscated from Asgarov. [9] In interviews given after his release from imprisonment in 2020, Asgarov stated that he did not know about Tsakanyan's death, and that the Armenians who were killed during the July 2014 incident were killed by Armenian forces. [2] [10]

On December 29, 2014, The Stepanakert Residence of the General Jurisdiction Court of First Instance of Nagorno Karabakh Republic sentenced Asgarov to life in prison and Guliyev to 22 years in prison (only Asgarov was convicted of Tsakanyan's murder). [11] [12] [13] [14] Asgarov and Guliyev appealed their sentence in January 2015. Their appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court of Artsakh in May that year. [15] Azerbaijani authorities condemned the trial as illegal and demanded the release of the two men. [9]

Aftermath

During the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, there were reports that Asgarov and Guliyev were taken to Armenia. [16] After the ceasefire agreement, as a result of negotiations with the participation of international organizations and the Russian Peacekeeping Command, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed to exchange prisoners and hostages. Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev were returned to Azerbaijan on 14 December 2020. [16] According to the president of the Republic of Artsakh, Arayik Harutyunyan, the decision to return Asgarov and Guliyev was made with the consent of the parents of Smbat Tsakanyan. [17]

In 2020 interview, Asgarov stated that he was subjected to "immeasurable torture" during his imprisonment, adding "the Armenian captors constantly abused his body, as well as his hands and nails" and that "was poorly fed" throughout the years. [10] In an interview with Al Jazeera , Asgarov said Armenians broke his fingers and electrocuted him, adding that he was "immobilised from the heavy blows" to his head and that the Armenians did not even allow him to "breathe normally". [2]

The Head of the Central Information Department of the Office of the President of the Republic of Artsakh and Deputy Head of the NKR President's Office, David Babayan, described these allegations of torture as deliberate fabrications, pointing out that: “The ICRC conducts monitoring of the custody and health condition of the mentioned persons, and no trace of torture was found.” [18]

On May 18, 2022, in a live interview given to the Azerbaijani TV channel Khural, Shahbaz Guliyev said that he and Dilgam Askerov were supplied with weapons and sent to Kalbajar in 2014 by the office of the former Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov. He also stated that the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan was informed about it in advance. Ali Hasanov, in response, stated that he never met Shahbaz Guliyev and doesn't even know him and advised to contact Dilgam Asgarov. [19] [20] [21] [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gegharkunik Province</span> Province of Armenia

Gegharkunik is a province (marz) of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic of Artsakh</span> Former breakaway state in the South Caucasus

Artsakh, officially the Republic of Artsakh or the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, was a breakaway state in the South Caucasus whose territory was internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Between 1991 and 2023, Artsakh controlled parts of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic, including its capital Stepanakert. It had been an enclave within Azerbaijan from the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war until the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive, when the Azerbaijani military took control over the remaining territory controlled by Artsakh. Its only overland access route to Armenia after the 2020 war was via the 5 km (3.1 mi) wide Lachin corridor, which was placed under the supervision of Russian peacekeeping forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kalbajar District</span> District of Azerbaijan

Kalbajar District is one of the 66 districts of Azerbaijan. It is located in the west of the country and belongs to the East Zangezur Economic Region. The district borders the districts of Lachin, Khojaly, Agdam, Tartar, Goranboy, Goygol and Dashkasan districts of Azerbaijan, as well as the Gegharkunik and Vayots Dzor provinces of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Kalbajar. As of 2020, the district had a nominal population of 94,100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shahumyan Province</span> Province

Shahumyan Province was a province of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, de jure part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The capital of the province was Karvachar. Shahumyan Province had 17 communities of which one is considered urban and 16 are rural. Its bordered Martakert Province to the east, Kashatagh Province to the south, Gegharkunik and Vayots Dzor provinces of Armenia to the west and Dashkasan, Goygol and Goranboy districts of Azerbaijan to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagorno-Karabakh conflict</span> 1988–2024 conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians until 2023, and seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerbaijanis until their expulsion during the 1990s. The Nagorno-Karabakh region was entirely claimed by and partially controlled by the breakaway Republic of Artsakh, but was recognized internationally as part of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan gradually re-established control over Nagorno-Karabakh region and the seven surrounding districts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seyran Ohanyan</span> Armenian politician and general

Seyran Musheghi Ohanyan is an Armenian general and politician currently serving as a deputy in the National Assembly of Armenia. He served as Defence Minister of Armenia from 14 April 2008 until 3 October 2016. A native of Nagorno-Karabakh, he participated in both the first and second Karabakh wars, and from 2000 to 2007 served as defence minister of the unrecognized Republic of Artsakh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arayik Harutyunyan</span> President of Artsakh from 2020 to 2023 (born 1973)

Arayik Vladimiri Harutyunyan is an Armenian politician who served as the fourth president of the Republic of Artsakh from May 2020 to September 2023. Under his predecessor Bako Sahakyan, he served as the sixth and last Prime Minister from 2007 until the abolishment of that position in 2017 and as the first State Minister of the Republic of Artsakh from 2017 until his resignation in 2018. Harutyunyan led Artsakh through the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War with Azerbaijan, during which the republic lost most of the territory under its control. He resigned on 1 September 2023 in the midst of the Azerbaijani blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Qılınclı, Kalbajar</span> Place in Kalbajar, Azerbaijan

Qılınclı is a village in the Kalbajar District of Azerbaijan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vardan Stepanyan</span> Armenian military commander

Vardan Stepanyan, better known as Dushman Vardan, was an Armenian military commander during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. He is considered a hero in Armenia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Armenian–Azerbaijani clashes</span>

Clashes on the Armenian–Azerbaijan border (Tavush–Qazakh) and the line of contact between the Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan started on 27 July 2014. Reported casualties of the clashes were some of the highest since the 1994 ceasefire agreement that ended the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

Levon Mnatsakanyan is a politician, and a former Minister of Defence of Artsakh.

Yunis Najafov was the National Hero of Azerbaijan, and warrior of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

Tahir Tofiq oglu Hasanov was an Azerbaijani soldier who was posthumously awarded the title National Hero of Azerbaijan for his service during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

Matlab Kamran oglu Guliyev was the National Hero of Azerbaijan and warrior during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Nagorno-Karabakh War</span> 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijian

The Second Nagorno-Karabakh War was an armed conflict in 2020 that took place in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding occupied territories. It was a major escalation of an unresolved conflict over the region, involving Azerbaijan, Armenia and the self-declared Armenian breakaway state of Artsakh. The war lasted for 44 days and resulted in Azerbaijani victory, with the defeat igniting anti-government protests in Armenia. Post-war skirmishes continued in the region, including substantial clashes in 2022.

Jalal Anatolii Harutyunyan is an Armenian general from the Republic of Artsakh who formerly served as Commander of the Artsakh Defense Army and Minister of Defense of Artsakh. He commanded the Artsakh Defense Army during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War until his dismissal on 27 October 2020 after being wounded in action. He was appointed Head of the Military Control Service of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia in February 2021. Harutyunyan was suspended from this role in connection with a criminal case opened against him in September 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Shusha (2020)</span> Battle in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war

The Battle of Shusha was a battle fought between the armed forces of Azerbaijan and the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh, militarily supported by Armenia, over the control of the city of Shusha, during the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. The battle is considered one of the bloodiest battles of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–2021 Armenian protests</span> Series of protests in Armenia

The 2020−2021 Armenian protests were a series of protests that began following the Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement on 10 November 2020. After Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that he signed an agreement to cede Armenian-occupied territories in Azerbaijan and put an end to six weeks of hostilities over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, thousands of people took to the streets, and hundreds stormed the Parliament building in the capital Yerevan. Protests continued throughout November, with demonstrations in Yerevan and other cities demanding the resignation of Nikol Pashinyan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1st Army Corps (Azerbaijan)</span> Military unit

The 1st Army Corps, also referred to as the Barda Army Corps, is a regional military formation of the Azerbaijani Land Forces. It is considered to be the most dangerous, strategic post of the Armed Forces. Most of its units are located on the Armenian border with Nagorno-Karabakh. It is currently led by Major General Hikmat Hasanov. It is currently deployed from Barda, which is south of Yevlakh near Ganja.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samvel Karapetyan (general)</span> Heroes of Artsakh

Samvel Jamili Karapetyan, also known by his nom de guerre Oganovsky, is an Armenian military commander from the Republic of Artsakh who participated in the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. He holds the rank of major general in the Artsakh Defense Army and has received the award Hero of Artsakh.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Sanamyan, Emil (13 August 2014). "Uncovering the Mystery of the Kelbajar Murders". civilnet.am. Archived from the original on 4 October 2020. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Kazimov, Seymur (5 January 2021). "Azerbaijani prisoner released by Armenia alleges torture". Al Jazeera . Archived from the original on 5 January 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  3. ↑ "Դիվերսանտի դիմագիծ. Հասան Հասանով-1" [A picture of a saboteur: Hasan Hasanov-1]. hetq.am (in Armenian). 16 December 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  4. 1 2 Hovhannes, Shoghikian (20 November 2014). "Azeri Detainees Accuse Each Other In Karabakh Trial". Azatutyun. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  5. ↑ Ishkhanyan, Hovhannes (29 December 2014). "Բաքվում հուղարկավորել են Քարվաճառում սպանված դիվերսանտին. АПА" [Saboteur killed in Karvachar buried in Baku]. aravot.am (in Armenian). Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  6. ↑ "Karabakh Police: Body of missing Smbat Tsakanyan found near Karvachar". 27 September 2023.
  7. ↑ "Դատարանը հրապարակեց ամբաստանյալներ Գուլիևի եւ Ասկերովի գործով դատավճիռը" [The court published the verdict for the case of defendants Guliyev and Askerov]. artsakhpress.am (in Armenian). Stepanakert. 29 December 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  8. ↑ "Ադրբեջանցի դիվերսանտների գործն ուղարկվել է դատարան" [The case of the Azerbaijani saboteurs has been sent to court]. aravot.am. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  9. 1 2 Harutiunian, Lilit (29 December 2014). "Azeris Sentenced In Karabakh". Azatutyun. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  10. 1 2 ""Yerevan erməniləri tərəfindən mənə işgəncə verildi. Qarabağdan olanlar toxunmadı"". Virtual.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  11. ↑ http://www.azpenalreform.az/en/news/intheword/3334-the-russian-side-will-be-engaged-with-issue-of-dilgam-askerov.html [ dead link ]
  12. ↑ "Red Cross representatives visit Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Askerov". news.am. 29 September 2023.
  13. ↑ "Dilgam Askerov refused to ask for pardon from armenian separatists". 1 March 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  14. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2020-12-08. Retrieved 2020-12-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  15. ↑ Harutyunyan, Ara (27 May 2015). "Ղարաբաղի Գերագույն դատարանը մերժեց Ասկերովի և Գուլիևի գործով վճռաբեկ բողոքը" [Karabakh's Supreme Court rejected the appeal in Askerov and Guliyev's case]. Azatutyun (in Armenian). Retrieved 7 January 2021.
  16. 1 2 "Şahbaz Quliyev və Dilqəm Əsgərov Bakıdadırlar". BBC Azerbaijani Service (in Azerbaijani). 14 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  17. ↑ "Դիլհամ Ասկերովի և Շահբազ Գուլիևի արտահանձնման որոշումն ընդունվել է Սմբատ Ցականյանի ծնողների համաձայնությունը ստանալուց հետո. Արայիկ Հարությունյան" [Arayik Harutyunyan: The decision to hand over Dilham Askerov and Shahbaz Guliyev was made after receiving the consent of Smbat Tsakanyan's parents]. aravot.am (in Armenian). 15 December 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  18. ↑ "Babayan: Claim of torturing Asgarov and Guliyev is intentionally trumped-up story". artsakhpress.am. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
  19. ↑ "Əli Həsənov Şahbaz Quliyevin ittihamlarına cavab verdi: "Şahbazı tanımıram"". Milli.Az (in Azerbaijani). 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-07-11.
  20. ↑ "Şahbaz Quliyevdən sensasion açıqlama: "Bizi Kəlbəcərə Əli Həsənov göndərmişdi". azpress.az. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  21. ↑ ""Bizi Kəlbəcərə Əli Həsənov göndərmişdi" - Şahbaz Quliyevdən sensasiya". Milli.Az (in Azerbaijani). 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  22. ↑ "Former Azerbaijani hostage blames senior official for sending him off to Armenian-held region". Mikroskop. 2022-05-19. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.