Baku: Azerbaijan has formally protested to Russia following comments made by a Russian lawmaker criticizing the sentencing of 13 ethnic Armenians who previously held senior positions in the former breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The development marks a significant diplomatic friction between the two former Soviet republics.
On Thursday, an Azerbaijani military court handed down severe sentences to the former Karabakh officials. Five, including ex-leader Arayik Harutyunyan, received life imprisonment, while the remaining eight were sentenced to 15 to 20 years in prison. The trials, conducted in Baku, stem from a range of charges including alleged war crimes. International human rights organizations have raised concerns about the fairness and transparency of the proceedings.
Konstantin Zatulin, a member of Russia’s State Duma, publicly denounced the trial, claiming it was a “settling of scores” rather than an impartial judicial process. In response, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry summoned Russia’s ambassador, emphasizing that such statements are unacceptable and undermine regional peace. The ministry urged Moscow to take steps to prevent similar interventions in the future, citing Zatulin’s comments as destabilizing to both bilateral relations and wider regional stability.
The tension reflects deeper unease in Azerbaijani-Russian relations, which have been strained in recent years. Relations reached a nadir following the accidental downing of an Azerbaijani passenger plane by Russian forces in December 2024. Analysts view Baku’s latest protest as a signal of its growing insistence on asserting sovereign judicial authority without external interference.
Nagorno-Karabakh, internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, declared independence amid the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, triggering decades of conflict with Armenia. Azerbaijan regained full control of the region in 2023, leading to the displacement of nearly 100,000 ethnic Armenians. The captured Karabakh officials have been on trial since January 2025, under charges that reflect the turbulent history of the enclave.
Azerbaijan’s diplomatic note underlines its demand that Russia respect the country’s internal legal processes and curb rhetoric that could jeopardize peace and stability in the South Caucasus. Observers say the episode highlights the delicate balance Russia must maintain in a region where it has traditionally exercised significant influence.