Baku Military Court is conducting two trials regarding Armenians accused of serious crimes (planning, preparing, initiating, and waging aggressive war; genocide; extermination of the population; deportation or forced displacement of the population, etc.).
Medianews.az reports that Ruben Vardanyan is being tried alone. The process is at the stage of victims' testimonies.
Ruben Vardanyan was born in 1968. He is Armenian. He is known as a businessman active in Russia's investment sector and is a billionaire. On September 1, 2022, he announced that he had applied to renounce Russian citizenship and move to Karabakh; on November 4, he was appointed as the "state minister" (head of government) of the occupying regime, and on December 22, he was stripped of Russian citizenship. On February 23, 2023, he was removed from the "state minister" position.
He was arrested on September 27, 2023.
The trials of Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Araik Arutyunyan, David Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, David Manukyan, and 8 others are nearing completion. The state prosecutors have proposed life imprisonment for Araik Arutyunyan, David Ishkhanyan, David Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, and David Manukyan; 20 years imprisonment for Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan; and 16-20 years imprisonment for the remaining individuals.
Arkadi Ghukasyan was born in 1957. He is from Karabakh. In 1992, he was elected to the "parliament" of the occupying Karabakh regime, represented the leadership of the "State Defense Committee" since that year, and held the post of "foreign minister" from 1993. He was the "president" of the regime from 1997 to 2007, and served as a special envoy of the Armenian president from 2009 to 2018.
He was arrested on October 3, 2023.
Bako Sahakyan was born in 1960. He is from Karabakh. Since 1990, he held responsible positions in the illegal military formations of the separatists. From 1997 to 1999, he worked as assistant to the Armenian Ministers of Internal Affairs and National Security. Since 1999, he served as the "minister of internal affairs" of the occupying regime, from 2001 as "head of the National Security Service," and was "president" from 2007 to 2020.
He was arrested on October 3, 2023.
Araik Arutyunyan was born in 1973. He is from Karabakh. He participated in the aggressive war against Azerbaijan. He served as "prime minister" of the Karabakh regime from 2007 to 2017, "state minister" from 2017 to 2018, and "president" from 2020 to 2023.
He was arrested on October 3, 2023.
David Ishkhanyan was born in 1968. He is from Karabakh. He was an active participant in the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, commanding one of the Martuni (Khojavend) battalions from 1992 to 1995. He was elected as a member of the Karabakh regime's "parliament" in 1991, 2015, and 2020; on August 7, 2023, he was granted the mandate as "chairman" and served as acting "president" from September 1 to 9.
He was arrested on October 3, 2023.
David Babayan was born in 1973. He is from Karabakh. He held various responsible posts in the occupying regime, including "presidential assistant and advisor," and was "foreign minister" from 2021 to 2023.
He was arrested on September 29, 2023.
Levon Mnatsakanyan was born in 1965. He is from Karabakh. He was an active participant in the occupation of Azerbaijani territories. He served as "deputy defense minister" and "Chief of Staff of the Defense Army," and was deputy chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia. From 2015 to 2018, he served as the "defense minister" of the occupying regime.
He was arrested on September 29, 2023.
David Manukyan was born in 1971. He is Armenian. He served as the "first deputy defense minister" in the occupying regime.
He was arrested on September 27, 2023.
Armenia occupied Azerbaijan’s southwest and 1 village in the Sadarak district, 7 villages in the Gazakh district, and established a separatist regime in Karabakh during 1988-1994.
As a result of the war conducted by Azerbaijan from September 27 to November 10, 2020, subsequent negotiations, and local military operations, the districts of Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadly, Aghdam, Kalbajar, Lachin were fully liberated, and parts of Shusha, Khojavend, Khojali, and Agdere districts were partially liberated.
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military operation against the occupying regime controlling the cities of Khankendi, Khojali, Agdere, Khojavend, and parts of the districts of Shusha, Khojali, Khojavend, and Agdere. The next day, the regime took the obligation to disarm; from September 24, mass displacement of Armenians from Karabakh began, and on September 28, the regime surrendered.
On May 24, 2024, Armenia withdrew from the villages of Ashagi Askipara, Baghanis Ayrim, Kheyrimli, and Gizilhajili of the Gazakh district.
The villages of Kerki in the Sadarak district and Barkhudarly, Sofulu, Yukhari Askipara in the Gazakh district are enclaves surrounded by Armenian territory.
On August 8, 2025, the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia signed a joint declaration in Washington, witnessed by the U.S. President, undertaking to peace, and the foreign ministers of the two countries initialed a draft agreement on the establishment of peace and interstate relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Togrul Ali,
Medianews.az
