Three former presidents of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR) and ex-speaker of the parliament Davyd Ishkhanyan were detained in Nagorno-Karabakh, which Azerbaijan has returned to its control.
This was reported by the Azerbaijani agency ARA.
Employees of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan detained the second president of the NKR, Arkady Ghukasyan (reigned 1997-2007), the third president Bako Sahakyan (reigned 2007-2020), and Arik Harutyunyan, who led the NKR from May 2020 to September 1, 2023.
All the detainees are taken to Baku, where they will be tried. It is not yet known what articles they are accused of.
- Before that, on September 27, the former head of the government of the unrecognized republic, businessman Ruben Vardanyan, was detained at the checkpoint in Nagorno-Karabakh. The next day, he was arrested on charges of financing terrorism and creating illegal armed groups.
- On September 30, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the NKR, an adviser to its leader Davyd Babayan, was arrested in Azerbaijan.
- Armenian media wrote that Azerbaijan has a list of NKR figures who are being demanded to be extradited to Baku.