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
Council of Europe Calls for Review of Anar Mammadli’s Sentence
Human rights
Council of Europe Calls for Review of Anar Mammadli’s Sentence
11 September 2026

Representatives of the Council of Europe have called on Azerbaijani authorities to release human rights defender Anar Mammadli, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Specifically, PACE rapporteur on political prisoners Azadeh Rojhan asserts that his prosecution is political in nature and that fundamental principles of a fair trial were violated during the proceedings.

Pashinyan: Armenia to continue seeking alternative gas sources regardless of Russian gas price
Politics
Pashinyan: Armenia to continue seeking alternative gas sources regardless of Russian gas price
11 September 2026

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the country will continue to seek alternative sources of gas, regardless of whether the cost of Russian supplies changes.

Memorial has recognized a Romanian national—detained in Abkhazia and convicted of espionage in Russia—as a political prisoner
Human rights
Memorial has recognized a Romanian national—detained in Abkhazia and convicted of espionage in Russia—as a political prisoner
11 September 2026

The Memorial Human Rights Center has designated Romanian national Adrian-David Kercho a political prisoner; he is currently serving a 15-year sentence in a maximum-security penal colony for espionage on behalf of Ukraine. The Krasnodar Regional Court handed down the verdict in March 2026, and an appeal in June upheld both the sentence and the criminal classification. Human rights defenders consider the case politically motivated and are calling for his release.

Georgian Interior Ministry Opens Case Against Blogger Over Profane Comment About Simonyan and Solovyov
Politics
Georgian Interior Ministry Opens Case Against Blogger Over Profane Comment About Simonyan and Solovyov
11 September 2026

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has initiated administrative proceedings against journalist Tornike Razmadze. The agency states that he is accused of insulting the country's Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze, on social media. The case was opened under Article 166 (petty hooliganism) and Article 173 (disobedience to police orders), which carry penalties of a fine of up to 3,000 lari or up to 20 days in detention. The case is scheduled to be heard by the Tbilisi City Court on September 29.