State prosecutors at the Baku Military Court today called for life sentences to be handed out to the fourth President of Artsakh Arayik Harutyunyan, the former Artsakh Defense Army Commander Levon Mnatsakanyan, the former Deputy Commander of the Artsakh Defense Army Davit Manukyan, the former Speaker of the Artsakh National Assembly Davit Ishkhanyan, and the former Advisor to the President of the Artsakh Republic and former Artsakh Foreign Minister Davit Babayan.

Azerbaijani State News Agency (AZERTAC) writes that prosecutors asked for twenty-year sentences for former Artsakh presidents Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan given that they are sixty-five years old and cannot, under Azerbaijani law, be given life sentences.

Only Azerbaijani state and government-controlled media outlets are present at the trial. It is not possible to verify the statements attributed to the Armenians on trial from other sources.

The charges brought against the former Artsakh military and political officials include terrorism, genocide, slavery, plunder, and a variety of war crimes.

Among the other Armenian prisoners on trial, prosecutors asked for a twenty-year sentence for Melikset Pashayan and Madat Babayan, Garik Martirosyan - nineteen years, Davit Alaverdyan - eighteen years, Levon Balayan – seventeen years, Vasily Beglaryan, Erik Ghazaryan and Gurgen Stepanyan - sixteen.

The next trial date is November 27.