Following an era of Armenian control over Nagorno-Karabakh that lasted nearly three decades, Azerbaijan regained control of the region in 2023, leading to the mass exodus of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians. In the wake of this takeover, the Azerbaijani government arrested several separatist leaders, charging them with war crimes, a move that has drawn protests from Armenia, which has demanded their release. The Azerbaijani military court sentenced R. Vardanyan, a prominent separatist leader and former banker, to 20 years in prison under several articles of the criminal code pertaining to crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, and terrorism; he has denied the charges and declared himself a political prisoner.