The court in Baku has handed down heavy sentences to the separatist leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, including life imprisonment for five of them, following a trial that began in 2025, Reuters and Disinfo.md report.
On February 5, 2026, the Military Court in Baku sentenced several former officials of the former administration of the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region, the last enclave predominantly inhabited by ethnic Armenians on the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan. The trial began in January 2025, after Azerbaijani forces regained control of the region in 2023.
The court sentenced the following individuals to life imprisonment:
• Arayik Harutyunyan, former president of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic;
• David Babayan, former foreign minister of the separatist region;
• Davit Ishkhanyan, former speaker of the parliament of the separatist region;
• Levon Mnatsakanyan, former army commander of the separatist region;
• Davit Manukyan, former deputy army commander of the separatist region.
The court found them guilty of serious charges, including crimes against humanity and peace, war crimes, genocide, terrorism, and the violent seizure of power.
The court also sentenced other leaders to prison terms ranging from 15 to 20 years, including:
• Arkadi Ghukasyan, former president of the separatist region;
• Bako Sahakyan, former president of the separatist region;
as well as other individuals tried in the same case.
In addition, the court sentenced several civilians captured during the 2023 operation to between 15 and 19 years in prison for various offenses related to the conflict, according to the cited sources.
Direct link to Transnistria: What the Azerbaijan precedent could mean for the Republic of Moldova
The sentences issued in Azerbaijan create a relevant precedent for the Republic of Moldova, where the Transnistrian region has remained outside the constitutional control of the state for more than three decades. From a legal standpoint, the situations are comparable: the international community recognizes both Nagorno-Karabakh and Transnistria as parts of sovereign states, and the separatist structures operating there lack legal legitimacy.
Moldovan legislation allows for the criminal prosecution of separatist leaders in Tiraspol. The Criminal Code criminalizes actions against territorial integrity and the usurpation of state power, and the Constitution defines as illegal any authorities created outside the constitutional framework. In other words, if Chisinau restores effective control over the Transnistrian region, authorities will have a legal basis to investigate and prosecute former leaders of the separatist administration, including for decisions and actions committed over the years.
According to Disinfo.md, the key difference compared to the Azerbaijani case lies in the geopolitical context. Baku used military force to regain control over Karabakh, while the Republic of Moldova has consistently pursued a peaceful and negotiated solution, given the presence of Russian troops on Transnistrian territory. This factor significantly limits Chisinau’s options, including the immediate application of criminal law.
At the same time, the Azerbaijani precedent sends a clear signal: the status of a separatist leader does not grant unlimited immunity. In the event of a settlement of the Transnistrian conflict, regardless of its form, authorities cannot exclude the issue of legal accountability for those who led unconstitutional structures. The Nagorno-Karabakh case shows that, under certain conditions, states can shift from political tolerance to criminal responsibility.