Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan arrests ex-Karabakh leader

• Azerbaijan arrests former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan for trying to leave for Armenia.
• Over 47,000 ethnic Armenians have fled Nagorno-Karabakh following Azerbaijan’s recent capture.
• Vardanyan’s wife seeks support for his release; he’s taken to Baku.
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Azerbaijan has apprehended a former leader of Nagorno-Karabakh while attempting to depart the enclave for Armenia, according to authorities.

Ruben Vardanyan, a businessman who served as the leader of the separatist government from November 2022 to February, was among the numerous individuals seeking to exit.

In total, 47,115 ethnic Armenians have fled Nagorno-Karabakh, which was captured by Azerbaijan just last week.

Mr. Vardanyan’s spouse has requested assistance to guarantee his secure release.

Nagorno-Karabakh, which had been under the control of ethnic Armenians for three decades, is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan.

Concerns about renewed violence arose when Azerbaijan imposed a significant blockade of a crucial route into the enclave in December 2022.

On September 20, a ceasefire brought an end to 24 hours of hostilities. Subsequently, Azerbaijan and Karabakh authorities initiated discussions regarding the enclave’s integration into Azerbaijan.

However, a considerable number of the region’s 120,000 ethnic Armenians are apprehensive about their prospects in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenia’s prime minister asserted that “ethnic cleansing” had commenced in the area.

According to Karabakh authorities, at least 200 individuals lost their lives in the recent week’s clashes, while Azerbaijan reported on Wednesday that 192 of its soldiers had been killed.

The road out of Karabakh towards Armenia has been clogged with traffic jams for several days. A BBC team witnessed families squeezed into vehicles, with overflowing trunks and roof racks laden with belongings.

Various Western governments have been urging Azerbaijan to permit international observers into Karabakh to oversee the treatment of the local population.

On Tuesday, Germany became the latest country to join this chorus, as Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called for “transparency.”