The military court in Baku has sentenced several former leaders of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to life imprisonment. The arrests occurred in 2023 following a military operation, as a result of which Azerbaijan regained control over the disputed territory, reports RBC.
Araik Arutyunyan, who served as the president of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) from 2020 until August 2023, was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Azerbaijani authorities charged him with war crimes, including aggressive war, genocide, terrorism, and violent seizure of power.
The court also issued similar sentences to other key figures, including former Defense Minister Levon Mnatsakanyan, ex-Speaker of Parliament David Ishkhanian, former Deputy Commander of NKR Forces David Manukyan, and ex-Foreign Minister David Babayan.
All the convicted were arrested at the end of 2023. Life imprisonment may also threaten former State Minister of NKR Ruben Vardanyan. However, none of the accused have admitted their guilt.
