On September 10, during a closed court hearing on the Lele Tepe counterattack case, the prosecutor presented the findings of a military expert examination. The announcement was made by lawyer Ashot Apresyan, who represents former commander of the 8th separate motorized rifle brigade (Tsor) Artur Ohanyan, CivilNet reports. No further details were disclosed.
In the session, the court also reviewed classified written evidence, including maps, battle orders, and other operational documents. At the previous closed session, the court had examined additional confidential evidence.
The case involves three defendants: former brigade commander Artur Ohanyan, battalion commander Gegham Abrahamyan, and tank battalion commander Garnik Mnatsakanyan. According to the indictment, Ohanyan is charged with negligence toward his official duties, while Abrahamyan and Mnatsakanyan are accused of refusing to carry out specific military obligations.
The counterattack plan had been initiated by then-Secretary of Artsakh’s Security Council Samvel Babayan. On October 7, 2020, the goal was to encircle Azerbaijani forces that had advanced into the southern sector and cut off their supply lines.
The Azerbaijani supply route passed near the Lele Tepe heights, stretching from the Iranian border to Armenia’s frontier. Armenian forces were tasked with advancing from Kend Horadiz and blocking this line, leaving Lele Tepe in the rear. The main counterattack forces were reserve units of the Artsakh Defense Army: the Ivanyan tank brigade and the Stepanakert motorized rifle brigade (Tsor). The tank brigade was to cut supply lines by securing a new defensive position, while the “Tsor” brigade was to protect its rear and destroy the enemy units that had penetrated inside.
