February 17, 2026

Former Head of Karabakh Government Ruben Vardanyan Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison in Azerbaijan

The Baku Military Court sentenced the former head of the government of Nagorno-Karabakh, Ruben Vardanyan, to 20 years in prison, according to Minval Politika. Previously, the prosecutor had demanded a life sentence for him. He is accused of planning a war, deportation of the population, enforced disappearances, torture, terrorism, financing terrorism, and other serious crimes, totaling 45 articles. Vardanyan himself claims that his interrogation protocols were falsified. Ruben Vardanyan is the former owner of the investment company Troika Dialog and the founder of Skolkovo. In 2022, he announced his decision to renounce his Russian citizenship and move to the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. On November 4, 2022, he became the Prime Minister of Karabakh. In February 2023, he left this post. Azerbaijani border guards detained Vardanyan in September 2023 after the start of hostilities in Karabakh. The next day, he was arrested and charged with financing terrorism and creating illegal armed groups. While in pre-trial detention, he went on a hunger strike twice, protesting his persecution.