The former leader of the Nagorno-Karabakh enclavewhich has a predominantly Armenian population and had seceded from Azerbaijan, was placed in four months of temporary detention by Azerbaijan, a decision that was immediately condemned today by Yerevan, which denounced “illegal arrests”.
Ruben Vardanyan, a businessman, banker and philanthropist who led Nagorno-Karabakh from November 2022 to last February, is accused of financing terrorism and other crimesaccording to the Azeri State Security Service.
Vardanian is also accused of creating an illegal armed organization, according to the indictment presented by the agency, which released a video showing the handcuffed defendant being escorted by Azeri security forces agents.
Vardanian, who was born in 1968, could face up to 14 years in prison for the crimes, according to AFP and Athenian News.
Armenia, for its part, has accused Baku of arresting refugees fleeing its self-proclaimed republic. Nagorno Karabakhwhich announced its upcoming disbandment.
“This worries us terribly,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a cabinet meeting, which appealed to the international community on the issue.
“The government appealed to the European Court of Human Rights and asked it to ask where Vardanian is and what is the state of his health,” Hashmik Chamvelian, a spokesman for Armenia’s representative for international legal affairs, told AFP.
Azerbaijan has agreed to allow the separatists, who lay down their arms, to leave for Armenia as part of the ceasefire agreement.
But an Azeri government source told AFP that border guards were also investigating “war crimes” suspects who should be prosecuted.
Source: News Beast
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