BAKU, Feb 5 - An Azerbaijani military court on Thursday delivered lengthy prison sentences to 13 former officials who had served in the administration of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian-majority breakaway region that existed outside Baku's authority for roughly three decades before Azerbaijani forces regained control in 2023.
Five defendants were given life terms, among them Arayik Harutyunyan, who led the Karabakh administration. The court imposed prison sentences of between 15 and 20 years on eight other former officials.
The court found the defendants guilty on an array of charges. The convictions included crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, the preparation and conduct of an aggressive war, genocide, violations of the laws and customs of war, terrorism and the violent seizure of power.
Human rights groups have publicly questioned whether the trial met standards of fairness. The proceedings opened in January 2025, and rights monitors have expressed concerns about elements of the process.
Nagorno-Karabakh, an internationally recognised part of Azerbaijan, had been governed by ethnic Armenian authorities after seceding from Baku as the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Azerbaijan and Armenia fought two wars over the mountainous territory before Azerbaijan re-established full control in 2023. Following that return to Azerbaijani authority, the region's entire Armenian population, estimated at about 100,000 people, departed for Armenia.
Speaking to reporters, Arayik Harutyunyan's lawyer, Javid Rzazade, said his client had anticipated the court's decision. "Arayik Harutyunyan was prepared for this court decision. We knew the court could issue a life sentence. Naturally, we do not agree with either the indictment or the verdict," Rzazade said, adding that it was too early to determine whether they would file an appeal.
A verdict has not yet been delivered in the case of Ruben Vardanyan, a former banker who served as the number two official in the Karabakh administration. Prosecutors have sought a life sentence for Vardanyan.
The court rulings mark a significant legal outcome for Azerbaijani authorities following their 2023 restoration of control over Nagorno-Karabakh and follow months of legal proceedings that began earlier this year. Questions from human rights organisations about trial fairness remain part of the public record, and the status of at least one high-profile defendant remains unresolved pending a separate verdict.