Azerbaijan has detained the former president of Nagorno-Karabakh "on suspicion of waging an aggressive war" and alleged war crimes, the prosecutor general and security service said in a joint statement on Thursday.
Arayik Harutyunyan, 49, stepped down shortly before Baku's lightning offensive to retake the disputed region, which was under the control of ethnic Armenian forces.
He led the separatist government during the 2020 armed conflict between Baku and Yerevan for control of the mountainous enclave and stepped down in early September, shortly before Baku's offensive.
Several senior representatives of Karabakh's former authorities and military command have also been detained, including Ruben Vardanyan, a reported billionaire who headed the region's separatist government between November 2022 and February 2023.
Armenia's foreign ministry said on Wednesday it "strongly condemned" Azerbaijan for the arrests, adding that it "will take all possible steps to protect the rights of the illegally arrested representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh, including in international courts".
Separatist authorities in the breakaway region agreed to disarm, dissolve their government and reintegrate with Azerbaijan after Baku's one-day military operation in late September.
The central government in Baku is holding re-integration talks with separatist leaders, but Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev has said criminal investigations had been initiated into crimes committed by 300 separatist officials.
The United Nations human rights office has urged Baku to afford the detainees "full respect and protection".
Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, first came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by the Armenian military in separatist fighting that ended in 1994.
Azerbaijan retook parts of the area in a war in 2020.
But after last month’s defeat, separatist authorities surrendered their weapons and held talks with Azerbaijan on reintegration of the territory into Azerbaijan.
Most ethnic-Armenian residents – more than 100,000 people – have since fled.
Earlier this month, Hikmet Hajiyev, a diplomatic adviser to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, said it had detained "five to six" people whom it accused of war crimes but said that people leaving the country were doing so of their own free will.
"They are free. If somebody puts down his gun, they are free and they have decided on their own choice to go to the republic of Armenia," he said.
"If they accept Azerbaijan citizenship, we will protect and ensure their rights and their security, and we will establish a municipality system so that they can govern their affairs at a local level, and religious and cultural rights will be assured."
Thousands flee Nagorno-Karabakh - in pictures
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
Du Football Champions
The fourth season of du Football Champions was launched at Gitex on Wednesday alongside the Middle East’s first sports-tech scouting platform.“du Talents”, which enables aspiring footballers to upload their profiles and highlights reels and communicate directly with coaches, is designed to extend the reach of the programme, which has already attracted more than 21,500 players in its first three years.
If you go...
Etihad Airways flies from Abu Dhabi to Kuala Lumpur, from about Dh3,600. Air Asia currently flies from Kuala Lumpur to Terengganu, with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts planning to launch direct chartered flights to Redang Island in the near future. Rooms at The Taaras Beach and Spa Resort start from 680RM (Dh597).
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
MATCH INFO
FA Cup final
Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
The five pillars of Islam
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
- Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
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Results
6.30pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes Group Three US$200,000 (Turf) 2,000m; Winner: Ghaiyyath, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby (trainer).
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Cliffs Of Capri, Tadhg O’Shea, Jamie Osborne.
7.40pm: UAE Oaks Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
8.15pm: Zabeel Mile Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Zakouski, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
8.50pm: Meydan Sprint Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: Waady, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
