Azerbaijani Man Who Killed ZPMK Employee Admits Guilt

This morning, a court session was held in the first instance court of general jurisdiction in Syunik regarding Huseyn Akhundov, the Azerbaijani man who killed a ZPMK employee, according to Hetq.am.

At the moment Huseyn Akhundov was brought into the courtroom, a loud cry was heard from the audience. The distraught person was Ani Meliksetyan, the daughter of the deceased ZPMK employee Hayrapet Meliksetyan. Overcome with emotion, she threw her phone at Akhundov, which missed him. After the incident, the victim's daughter insisted on attending the trial, promising not to repeat her actions.

During the trial, journalists and other non-parties were only allowed to attend the preliminary hearings. At the request of the public prosecutor, the main hearings were held behind closed doors, as state secrets might be disclosed during the proceedings. Only members of the victim's family were permitted to attend.

Judge Napoleon Ohanian decided to extend the defendant's detention period by an additional three months, based on information in the case indicating that Akhundov might obstruct the ongoing court proceedings. He may flee, commit new offenses, and he does not have a permanent residence, connections in Armenia, and is charged with serious and particularly serious crimes. No objections were raised by either party regarding the extension, including the defendant Akhundov.

Public prosecutor Movses Antonian presented all the facts that formed the basis of the indictment. He noted that during a search of the defendant, the phone of the deceased victim, Hayrapet Meliksetyan, was found, which substantiates both theft and the illegal deprivation of life. The body of the ZPMK employee was discovered at the crime scene with multiple gunshot wounds, as well as cartridges fired from an AK-74 assault rifle. This was the weapon used by Azerbaijani servicemen Huseyn Akhundov and Agshin Babirov, who illegally crossed into Armenian territory and entered the village of Bnunis. In Bnunis, they attempted to enter the home of Shushik Matevosyan under the threat of weaponry, and when she noticed them, she closed the entrance door, after which the servicemen left.

Shushik Matevosyan did not appear in court today, citing the distance and significant emotional distress as reasons.

After the conclusion of the main hearings, the representative of the victim's side, Karen Alaverdyan, announced that the defendant had stated that he completely admits his guilt and regrets his actions. According to the representative, the entire trial process has complied with legal requirements.

“Law enforcement and the court organized and conducted the entire judicial process in full accordance with criminal procedural norms and at a high level. This is also a clear message to the enemy state that we expect the same or at least similar treatment for our prisoners of war and illegally detained individuals. The victim's side also remained quite restrained today, relying on fair trial proceedings,” said Karen Alaverdyan.

The representative of the victim's side informed us that the next court session is scheduled for June 21. He stated that it could be a final session, as the defendant has already admitted his guilt at this session.

It is noted that defendant Huseyn Akhundov is one of the two Azerbaijani servicemen who illegally crossed into Armenian territory from Nakhichevan on April 7. Days later, on April 12, Akhundov shot multiple times at ZPMK employee Hayrapet Meliksetyan with his rifle, killing him. After the incident, he stole the victim's phone, recorded a video message, and uploaded it to his social media. He also attempted to steal the victim's car and flee to Iran, but failed. The day after the incident, residents near the village of Ajanan noticed Huseyn Akhundov, disarmed him, and handed him over to law enforcement authorities.