Azerbaijani diversionist Dilham Askerov said in the course of the October 29 trial at the First Instance Court in Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) that he had regularly crossed the NKR stare border in the area of Shahumyan region, Artsakhpress said.
Askerov claimed he crossed the border in 1998, 2005, and 2007 alone and with comrades. He crossed the border passed summer with Shahbaz Gulyev and Hasan Hasanov to find the gold that was hidden in the Shahumyan region and to visit the tombs of their relatives. According to Askerov, they made video records of their trips every time they crossed the border allegedly to demonstrate them in their future cafe. Askerov claimed he understood that Hasanov is an Azerbaijani national security officer later.
Asked why did they take minor Smbat Tsakanyan with them to the road leading to Karvachar, Askerov said the boy could help them not to lose bearing on the terrain. Askerov denies he was complicit in Tskanyan's murder and blames Hasanov, who was liquidated by the NKR armed forces, for the murder.
Earlier on 27 October, the second diversionist Shahbaz Gulyev also gave testimonies claiming that he did not witness how Tsakanyan was murdered.