Azerbaijan sentenced Armenian nationals, including ex-Nagorno-Karabakh leaders, to life or long prison terms for war crimes and aggression after 2023 recapture.

Azerbaijan’s Baku Military Court sentenced multiple Armenian nationals, including former Nagorno-Karabakh leaders, to life imprisonment or long prison terms for charges tied to war crimes, genocide, terrorism, and military aggression during the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Among those sentenced was Madat Babayan, who admitted to participating in the 1992 Khojaly massacre and received a 19-year term due to age restrictions preventing life imprisonment. The trials, which began in January 2025, have been largely closed to the public, with prosecutors seeking life sentences upheld for several defendants. The verdicts are part of Azerbaijan’s ongoing legal efforts to hold individuals accountable for wartime actions following its 2023 military recapture of the breakaway region.