Based on the results of the study forwarded by the person substituting the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), the Prosecutor General’s Office of Artsakh has launched a criminal case in regard to alleged cases of improper performance by officials performing civil defense functions of their duty (prescribed by the law on civil defense) to evacuate the population  during the war that was unleashed against Artsakh on September 27, 2020, as reported the Prosecutor General’s Office of Artsakh.

“Taking into account the fact that the Azerbaijanis killed and captured civilians in several communities of Artsakh during the war, thus, to check, (in the manner prescribed by criminal procedure law) to see if the duty to evacuate the mentioned persons was performed properly, based on the factual data presented by the Human Rights Defender of Artsakh to the Prosecutor General’s Office, on March 1, 2021, the Division for Cases of General Crimes of the Prosecutor General’s Office launched a criminal case under the elements of a crime provided for by a particular article of the Criminal Code of Artsakh,” the Prosecutor General’s Office reported, adding that, on the same day, the criminal case was, according to investigative subordination, forwarded to the Investigative Committee of Artsakh for preliminary investigation.