The State Border Service of Azerbaijan confirmed today, Wednesday, the detention of Ruben Vardanyan, a former senior official in the separatist administration of Nagorno-Karabakh, while he was attempting to flee to Armenia. It added, "The authorities transferred Vardanyan to Baku and handed him over to other government agencies." Vardanyan, a billionaire and investment banker, served as the head of the separatist government in Karabakh from November 2022 to February 2023.
His wife, Veronika Zunabend, stated on her Telegram channel that Azerbaijani authorities arrested Vardanyan during a mass exodus of Armenians after Azerbaijan regained control of Karabakh in a swift attack last week. The Azerbaijani Border Service confirmed the transfer of Vardanyan to the capital Baku for further processing by other government agencies.
Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, but most of its population are Armenians who separated in the 1990s during the first of two wars that broke out there following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan, a Muslim-majority country, claims it seeks to peacefully reintegrate Armenians and will ensure their civil rights, including the practice of their Christian religious rites. It also states that no one is forced to leave.
However, due to the bloody history between the sides, Armenians are fleeing in fear, abandoning their homes and crowding into cars and trucks along a winding mountain road leading to Armenia. Authorities in Karabakh reported that more than 50,000 people have left so far, out of an estimated 120,000 Armenians in the region. Azerbaijan denies Armenia's accusations of ethnic cleansing, but images of tens of thousands of desperate people fleeing have raised widespread international concern. The European Union announced it would send further humanitarian aid "in solidarity with those left with no choice but to flee," marking a significant shift from an earlier statement that referred to people who "decided to flee."
The reasons for Vardanyan's detention remain unclear, but Azerbaijan indicated it plans to prosecute some separatists. President Ilham Aliyev stated last week, "We have accused elements of the criminal regime and will bring them to justice," without specifying individuals or crimes. He described Karabakh's leadership as a "criminal military council... and a den of toxins."
During his brief tenure, Azerbaijan labeled Vardanyan as an obstacle to peace. He also clashed with the Armenian Prime Minister regarding the role of Russian peacekeeping forces. Zunabend has appealed for "prayers and support for the safe release of my husband."
U.S. State Department spokesperson Miller told reporters that Washington is aware of Vardanyan's detention and is "closely monitoring the situation." Tens of thousands have died in fighting over Karabakh since 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed, which Armenia and Azerbaijan were part of.
The winding mountain road from Karabakh to Armenia was crowded with people. Many sleep in their cars or search for firewood for warmth along the roadside. The journey, just 77 kilometers to the border, took at least 30 hours. Vera Petrosyan, a 70-year-old retired teacher, told Reuters on Tuesday, "I left everything behind. I don't know what awaits me. I have nothing. I want nothing."
Russia stated that its peacekeeping force in the region evacuated more than 120 individuals by helicopter. Armenia is outraged that the Russian peacekeepers, present since the 44-day war in 2020, did not intervene to prevent Azerbaijan from launching its attack, which quickly forced Karabakh's leadership to agree to disband and disarm.
