The court process in Baku has concluded for a group of former officials from the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, arrested during a military operation in the fall of 2023. The court issued strict sentences, including maximum penalties for key figures in the case.
Former president Araik Arutyunyan, who held his position until September 2023, as well as former army chief Levon Mnatsakanyan, his deputy David Manukyan, and former foreign minister David Babayan received life sentences. The prosecution insisted on such harsh punishment, citing the seriousness of the charges.
Two other former leaders, Arkadi Ghukasian and Bako Saakyan, were sentenced to twenty years in prison. The court took their age into account—both are over 65—and mitigated the punishment despite the possibility of life imprisonment. In total, 15 individuals are on trial, accused of various crimes including terrorism, genocide, usurpation of power, and waging aggressive war.
It is worth noting that the detention of the top military-political leadership of the region was a result of a successful operation by Azerbaijan, conducted in the fall of 2023, which restored the country's control over Nagorno-Karabakh. As of January 1, 2024, this territory officially ceased to exist as an unrecognized republic, leading to a mass exodus of the Armenian population and the arrest of its leaders.
