Azerbaijani soldier who entered Shaki: investigation closed, case sent to prosecutor
- Published
- Place
- Shaki (Sisian), Syunik, Armenia
- Event date
- Past event —
Summary
The investigation into Azerbaijani soldier Nasimi Musayev, who entered a house in the village of Shaki, in Syunik province, on 1 October, is complete. Armenia’s Investigative Committee told several media outlets on Friday, 13 November, that the case file and the indictment have been sent to the supervising prosecutor, who must approve them before any trial. The soldier had opened fire and seriously wounded a local resident, 39-year-old Ani Avetisyan; her children were also injured. He is being prosecuted under five articles of the Criminal Code. On the same day, Ani Avetisyan told NEWS.am that she underwent a third operation on her leg on 6 November. She is still in pain and will need further surgery later.
The case moves to the prosecutor’s office
“The criminal proceedings have been completed, the case with the indictment has been sent to the prosecutor,” the Investigative Committee’s press service said, as quoted by Sputnik Armenia. NEWS.am and Tert.am received the same confirmation. The prosecutor must now approve the indictment and then refer the case to court. No hearing date has been set.
Nasimi Musayev faces charges including grievous bodily harm, unlawful deprivation of liberty, violating the inviolability of a home, theft and illegal border crossing. He was initially remanded in custody for two months. The case is being closely watched in Baku: the Azerbaijani agencies APA and 1news.az reported the announcement during the day.
What happened on 1 October
At around 2 p.m., the soldier entered a house in Shaki, a village in Sisian community. When discovered, he opened fire. Ani Avetisyan, born in 1987, was hit. According to her sister, speaking to NEWS.am, the soldier took her children hostage; protecting them, the mother lost three fingers of her left hand, before stabbing him several times with a knife. Her son fractured his wrist punching him.
The soldier fled, before being found and arrested in another house in the village. On 3 November, the head of the Investigative Committee, Artur Poghosyan, told lawmakers that he “had no intention of killing” and had lost his way in the fog.
Six weeks on, a victim still in treatment
“I’m in pain all day, I’m taking painkillers,” Ani Avetisyan said. On 6 November, surgeons operated again on her femur, which was “completely crushed”. Her leg is held by a metal frame from below the knee to the upper thigh; the result will be visible in three to four months, and another operation is planned later to lengthen the leg. Her treatment is paid for by the state.
Her children are living with their grandmother in a village in Masis community, where they go to school. Her son’s hand has not yet healed. Her daughter remains fragile: “When she is left alone, she feels bad again.”
Analysis
The quick closure of the investigation, six weeks after the events, paves the way for a trial with strong political weight. It is one of the rare cases in which an Azerbaijani serviceman will be tried in Armenia, at the very moment Yerevan is demanding the release of its own prisoners held in Baku. The case could become a bargaining chip in talks on detainees, although nothing has been announced to that effect. For the Avetisyan family, what is at stake is different: the physical and psychological wounds are far from healed.
Possible consequences
The prosecutor must approve the indictment and then send the case to court. Ani Avetisyan will need another operation in the coming months.
