In a significant judicial outcome, the Baku court has sentenced Ruben Vardanyan, the ex-prime minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, to 20 years in prison after finding him guilty of several grave charges including crimes against peace, war crimes, and terrorism. This ruling comes after the Azerbaijani government has continued to consolidate control over the region following the recent conflict. The prosecution had even called for a life sentence, highlighting the severity of the allegations against Vardanyan, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Vardanyan's legal defense argues that the trial did not adhere to the fundamental standards of a fair judicial process, with Vardanyan himself stating that the judicial proceedings could not be regarded as legitimate. His family released a statement condemning the ruling as