Prosecutors in Azerbaijan are seeking life sentences for five Armenian defendants who previously held leading positions in the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. Charges include war crimes and terrorism. In Azerbaijan, prosecutors have said on Thursday that they were seeking life sentences for five former leaders and officials of Nagorno-Karabakh. This comes two years after Azerbaijani forces retook full control of the region, which had been controlled by ethnic Armenians, who referred to the region as Artsakh. Most of the estimated 100,000 Armenians in the region fled after Azerbaijan's offensive in 2023 amid allegations of Azerbaijani troops conducting ethnic cleansing. The five Armenians were among at least 15 former government and military officials arrested upon Baku's seizure of the region. They stand trial for charges of war crimes, terrorism and forcible seizure of power.
