The court trial of the criminal case into Dilham Askerov and Shahbaz Guliyev, the two members of an Azerbaijani intelligence-gathering sabotage team, is coming to an end at the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) capital city Stepanakert seat of the NKR First Instance General Jurisdiction Court.

The phase of reading the prosecution and the defense statements will soon get underway.   

Guliyev’s attorney Arkadi Israyelyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that Armenian soldier Hakob Injighulyan—who was held captive in Azerbaijan for more than a year, who finally had returned to Armenia on October 2, and who recently returned to military duty—will give testimony at Wednesday’s court hearing.

“The trial is almost over; very little is left to study,” the attorney added.   

A video recording of Injighulyan’s interrogation in the Azerbaijani capital city of Baku was found in the possession of the saboteurs. In addition, saboteur Hasan Hasanov, who was killed, had participated in this interrogation.       

Dilham Askerov is charged with espionage; unauthorized border trespass; kidnapping and violence against a minor, committed by an organized group; murder committed by an organized group motivated by ethnic hatred; and attempt of murder of two persons, committed by an organized group, motivated by ethnic hatred. Shahbaz Guliyev is charged with espionage; unauthorized border trespass; kidnapping and violence against a minor, committed by an organized group; and murder committed by an organized group motivated by ethnic hatred.

The aforesaid court trial began on October 27.