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
In Dagestan, a schoolgirl pulled a six-year-old boy from a car just seconds before it burst into flames
Society
In Dagestan, a schoolgirl pulled a six-year-old boy from a car just seconds before it burst into flames
30 October 2026

In Khasavyurt, 15-year-old Maryam Akavova rescued a six-year-old child from a Lada Priora that had caught fire. On October 27, the ninth-grade student was walking past a parked car when she noticed a boy’s head sticking out of a window. Upon getting closer, she saw that the glove compartment inside the vehicle was already on fire.
Human rights
"We’ve been killed": The newspaper where Anna Politkovskaya worked announces its forced closure
30 October 2026

Russia’s *Novaya Gazeta* is ceasing operations. On November 9, the editorial team plans to vacate its office in the center of Moscow, shut down its servers, and publish its final issue. The journalists announced this decision on October 30 in a statement titled "We’ve been killed," citing pressure from Russian authorities and security services, eviction from their premises, and the blocking of their reader-donation system.
Dagestan may become the second region in the North Caucasian Federal District to implement a total ban on the sale of vapes
Society
Dagestan may become the second region in the North Caucasian Federal District to implement a total ban on the sale of vapes
30 October 2026

Dagestan is considering a complete ban on the retail sale of electronic cigarettes and the liquids used in them. The republic’s People’s Assembly has approved, in the first reading, a bill that would impose a five-year restriction on the sale of such products throughout the region. The initiative was put forward by the Speaker of the Parliament, Zaur Askenderov.
Armenian Speaker Rejects Opposition Accusations of Preparing an
Politics
Armenian Speaker Rejects Opposition Accusations of Preparing an "Aliyev-Style" Constitution
30 October 2026

The Armenian authorities have no intention of adopting a Basic Law dictated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The discussion concerns the development of a new Constitution, which would require the approval of the republic’s own citizens, stated Ruben Rubinyan, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, during a briefing on October 30.