Ruben Vardanyan, a former head of Nagorno-Karabakh, is detained by Azerbaijani border guards, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday. Photo by Azerbaijan State Border Service/EPA-EFE
Ruben Vardanyan, the Armenian leader of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, was taken into custody by the Azerbaijan border guard service on Wednesday.
Vardanyan’s wife told Politico that he had been forced to remain in the region after attempting to cross the border into Armenia. Advertisement
“Ruben has stood with the Arsakh people during the 10-month blockade and has suffered with them in their struggle for survival,” she said.
Azerbaikan’s border guard said he was arrested “as a result of vigilance of military personnel” as a photo showed him in custody.
The border guard said he was taken to Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, and transferred to state agencies.
Azerbaijan had accused Vardanyan of trying to escape the region after fighting between its forces and Armenia last week that ended in a fragile cease-fire. More than 47,000 Armenians have left the region since the cease-fire.
The disputed Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as being in Azerbaijan but has a prominent Armenian population that has expressed a desire to break away. Both countries were part of the former Soviet Union before breaking apart.
Nagorno-Karabakh authorities said at least 200 people had died in last week’s fighting spurred by Azerbaijan. Western governments have been pushing Azerbaijan to allow international observers into Karabakh to monitor its treatment of the local population. Advertisement
