On July 24, the Baku Court of Appeal continued reviewing appeals by former Artsakh presidents Arayik Harutyunyan, Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan, alongside other former officials.

The court hearing continued with statements by prosecutors representing the state prosecution, APA reports.

Abbas Abbasli, a department head at the Prosecutor General’s Office’s State Prosecution Defense Department, referring to “evidence regarding Arayik Harutyunyan’s role in a criminal association created and sponsored by Armenia,” said Harutyunyan’s appeal was groundless.

Anar Alakbarov, a prosecutor at the State Prosecution Defense Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office, said Bako Sahakyan’s appeal was groundless.

Sevinj Gasimova, a prosecutor at the State Prosecution Defense Department, citing “evidence concerning crimes attributed to Arkadi Ghukasyan,” said his appeal was groundless.

According to prosecutors representing the state prosecution, circumstances reflected in the case materials were corroborated by testimony from victims and witnesses, forensic examination findings, physical evidence, documents, crime-scene inspection records and other evidence collected in the criminal case.

In their statements, prosecutors maintained that the appeals filed by the defendants were groundless.

The court’s next hearing is scheduled for July 27.

Under a February 5, 2026, verdict by the Baku Military Court, Arayik Harutyunyan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, Davit Manukyan, Davit Ishkhanyan and Davit Babayan were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan were sentenced to 20 years in prison; Madat Babayan and Melikset Pashayan to 19 years; Garik Martirosyan to 18 years; Davit Allahverdyan and Levon Balayan to 16 years; and Vasily Beglaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan and Erik Ghazaryan to 15 years.