The leaders of Karabakh were sentenced in Azerbaijan, five of them were sentenced to life

A Baku military court has ruled against the leaders of the unrecognized People’s Karabakh Republic, who were detained in 2023 after the region came under Azerbaijani control. Most of the defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment.

It is this measure of punishment that former NKR President Arayik Harutyunyan, former Foreign Minister David Babayan, head of parliament David Ishkhanyan, commander of the armed forces Levon Mnatsakanyan and his deputy David Manukyan were sentenced to.

Former Nagorno-Karabakh presidents Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan escaped life imprisonment because they are over 65 years old. They will spend 20 years behind bars. Several other defendants in the case were sentenced to terms ranging from 15 to 19 years.

Charges were brought against the leaders of the NKR of committing crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, genocide, violation of the laws and rules of war, terrorism, financing terrorism and violent seizure of power.

The Armenian authorities call the trial staged and the defendants political prisoners. International human rights organizations also claim that the case is politically motivated.