Appeals trial for former Nagorno-Karabakh leaders begins in Azerbaijan

Appeals proceedings for the former leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh are beginning in Baku. They previously received prison sentences in Azerbaijan, including life imprisonment.

As a reminder, in February, a military court in Baku sentenced former Karabakh leaders Arayik Harutyunyan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, David Manukyan, David Ishkhanyan, and David Babayan to life imprisonment. They were found guilty of war crimes. Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan received 20 years in prison, Madat Babayan and Melikset Pashayan received 19 years, Garik Martirosyan received 18 years, David Alaverdyan and Levon Balayan received 16 years, and Vasily Beglaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan, and Erik Ghazaryan received 15 years.

The case of Russian billionaire and former State Minister of Karabakh Ruben Vardanyan was examined separately; he was sentenced to 20 years.

According to a report by the International Commission of Jurists, the trials of Armenian prisoners in Baku did not meet fair trial standards. Furthermore, the trial of the cases in a military court raises questions, as civilians were involved.

The report's authors noted that the defendants were denied effective legal representation, and state-appointed lawyers failed to respond to cases of ill-treatment of prisoners. Case documents were given to the defendants in a language they did not understand or were not given at all, and motions in their defense were rejected. The lawyers called on the Council of Europe to monitor the appeal hearings of these sentences.

Последние новости
Pashinyan Warns of the “Beginning of the End” for the EAEU
Politics
Pashinyan Warns of the “Beginning of the End” for the EAEU
29 July 2026

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has warned that Russia’s restrictions on Armenian exports are calling into question the future of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), saying the dispute could mark “the beginning of the end” for the Moscow-led bloc if it is not resolved soon.
Nauru becomes the third country to withdraw recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Politics
Nauru becomes the third country to withdraw recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
29 July 2026

The Pacific island nation of Nauru has severed diplomatic relations with the self-proclaimed entities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, effectively revoking its earlier recognition of their "independence." The Georgian Foreign Ministry announced the move.
Imam in Georgia Beaten After Speaking Turkish
Society
Imam in Georgia Beaten After Speaking Turkish
29 July 2026

An attack on the family of a Meskhetian Muslim in the southern Georgian town of Akhaltsikhe has raised questions about the police response. The victims say more than ten men assaulted the local mosque’s imam, Shevket Dvalidze, but only two suspects were detained and later released on bail. Human rights groups are calling for investigators to examine whether the attack was motivated by ethnic, linguistic and religious hatred.
Reporters Without Borders Calls Sentences Against Azerbaijani Journalists Politically Motivated
Human rights
Reporters Without Borders Calls Sentences Against Azerbaijani Journalists Politically Motivated
29 July 2026

The international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the sentences handed down to staff members of the Azerbaijani YouTube channel Toplum TV, describing them as further evidence of the persecution of independent journalists in the country.