Today, court proceedings begin in criminal cases against 15 ethnic Armenians accused of war crimes and Ruben Vardanyan, who was the "state minister" in the former separatist entity in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, Report informs.

The process will take place in the newly constructed Baku Court Complex in Hovsan settlement of Surakhani district.

A preliminary hearing will be held in the criminal case against defendants Arkadi Ghukasyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan, Davit Ishkhanyan, Davit Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, Davit Manukyan, Garik Martirosyan, Melikset Pashayan, Davit Allahverdyan, Gurgen Stepanyan, Levon Balayan, Madat Babayan, Vasili Beglaryan, and Erik Gazaryan.

The court will examine 2,548 episodes.

As many as 1,389 criminal cases investigated by the General Prosecutor's Office and various investigative bodies of Azerbaijan, concerning crimes committed from October 1987 to April 22, 2024, have been consolidated into one proceeding. Investigators from the General Prosecutor's Office, State Security Service, Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Customs Committee, and Military Prosecutor's Office have been involved in the investigation.

The defendants are charged with multiple articles of Azerbaijan's Criminal Code, including planning aggressive war, genocide, slavery, deportation, torture, terrorism, and other serious crimes.

Each defendant is provided with the right to defense, use of their preferred language, and other procedural rights.

A preliminary hearing for Ruben Vardanyan's case will also be held today at 15:00.

Vardanyan faces charges under various articles of the Criminal Code, including planning aggressive war, deportation, terrorism financing, illegal border crossing, and other violations.

Both hearings will be presided over by Zeynal Aghayev, chairman of the Baku Military Court.