Erik Beglaryan, the attorney of Azerbaijani saboteur Dilham Askerov, will petition to the Chamber of Appeals of the Supreme Court of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) by no later than April 10, and challenge the rulings handed down by the two lower courts.

Beglaryan told about the aforesaid to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The attorney informed that he had discussed this matter with Askerov, and the latter had decided to make such an appeal.

“And when the [Chamber of] Appeals will make a decision, this decision will enter into force, [and] my client will petition to [NKR] President Bako Sahakyan [for a pardon],” Erik Beglaryan added. 

To note, Arkadi Israyelyan, the attorney of the other Azerbaijani saboteur, Shahbaz Guliyev, likewise will petition to the Chamber of Appeals of the NKR Supreme Court.

As reported earlier, Azerbaijani sabotage and intelligence-gathering team member Dilham Askerov was 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. The other team member, Shahbaz Guliyev, on the other hand, was 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.

On December 29, 2014, the First Instance General Jurisdiction Court of the NKR had sentenced Askerov and Guliyev to life and 22 years, respectively, in prison.

The saboteur’s attorneys, however, had appealed these sentences. But on March 10, the NKR Court of Appeal upheld the earlier court verdict.