In the Baku Military Court, final decisions were announced regarding a group of former leaders of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, who were detained during the autumn of 2023. The court found them guilty and imposed the maximum penalties for key figures.
Life sentences were handed down to former president Araik Arutyunyan, who was in power until September 2023, as well as former army commander Levon Mnatsakanyan, his deputy David Manukyan, and former foreign minister David Babayan. Prosecutors insisted on such a punishment, considering the seriousness of the charges.
Two other former officials, Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Saakyan, received 20 years in prison. The court took into account their age—both are over 65—which served as grounds for a lighter sentence, although they initially also faced life imprisonment. In total, 15 individuals are involved in this case, facing various charges, including terrorism, genocide, illegal retention of power, and waging aggressive war.
It is worth noting that the detention of the military-political elite of the region occurred after Azerbaijan's military operation in the autumn of 2023, which resulted in full control over the territory being restored. As of January 1, 2024, Nagorno-Karabakh officially ceased to exist as an unrecognized republic, leading to a mass exodus of the Armenian population and the arrest of the leaders of the self-proclaimed authority.
