Arayik Harutyunyan, who served as president of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic from May 2020 until September 1, 2023, was sentenced to life imprisonment, which fully meets the prosecution's demands. Along with him, similar sentences were handed down to other high-ranking officials: Levon Mnatsakanyan, the former commander of the defense army, his deputy David Manukyan, and the former foreign minister David Babayan.
Additionally, two other former presidents of the republic, Arkadi Ghukasian and Bako Sahakyan, were sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The total number of defendants in this case is 15. Azerbaijani authorities accuse them of committing a number of crimes against humanity, including preparation and waging of aggressive war, genocide, violations of the laws and customs of war, terrorism and financing terrorist activities, as well as the violent seizure and retention of power.
