Azerbaijan summoned Russia's ambassador after State Duma deputy Konstantin Zatulin criticised the convictions of 13 former Karabakh officials. Five, including ex‑leader Arayik Harutyunyan, received life sentences while eight received 15–20 years. Baku called Zatulin's remarks unacceptable and urged Moscow to rein in such rhetoric amid already strained ties following the December 2024 plane downing. Trials of the captured Karabakh officials, held in January 2025, have drawn international concerns about fairness.
Azerbaijan Protests Russia Over Duma Lawmaker's Criticism of Karabakh Verdict
A general view shows the headquarters of Armenia's Foreign Ministry in Yerevan, Armenia, September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze/File Photo
Azerbaijan on Friday lodged a formal protest with Russia after a member of the Russian State Duma publicly criticised the convictions of 13 ethnic Armenians who once held senior positions in the former breakaway region of Nagorno‑Karabakh.
On Thursday, an Azerbaijani military court sentenced five defendants — including former Karabakh leader Arayik Harutyunyan — to life imprisonment, while eight others received prison terms of 15 to 20 years.
Konstantin Zatulin, a deputy in Russia's lower house of parliament, described the proceedings as a "settling of scores" rather than a legitimate trial, remarks that prompted diplomatic action from Baku.
In response, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry summoned Russia's ambassador and told him Zatulin's language was unacceptable and harmful to bilateral relations. The ministry said it urged Moscow to "take appropriate measures to curb the destructive activities of individuals such as Zatulin, who are attempting to undermine peace and stability in the region, as well as relations between Azerbaijan and Russia."
Former political figures and officials of Nagorno-Karabakh, where ethnic Armenians maintained an unrecognised breakaway statelet for three decades until Azerbaijan restored military control in 2023, attend a court hearing in Baku, Azerbaijan February 5, 2026, in this screen grab taken from a video. Reuters TV/via REUTERS/File Photo
"At the meeting, the Russian side was called upon to take appropriate measures to curb the destructive activities of individuals such as Zatulin, who are attempting to undermine peace and stability in the region, as well as relations between Azerbaijan and Russia," the ministry said.
Relations between the two former Soviet republics have deteriorated in recent years, reaching a nadir after the accidental Russian downing of an Azerbaijani passenger plane in December 2024.
Nagorno‑Karabakh is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. Ethnic Armenians there broke away from Baku’s control as the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Azerbaijan and Armenia fought two wars over the mountainous territory before Azerbaijani forces reasserted control in 2023, an operation that coincided with the flight of roughly 100,000 ethnic Armenians to Armenia.
Officials captured during that 2023 campaign were brought to trial in Baku beginning in January 2025 on a range of charges, including alleged war crimes. International human rights organisations have raised concerns about whether the proceedings met fair‑trial standards.
The diplomatic protest underscores how sensitive the aftermath of the Karabakh conflict remains and how individual statements by politicians can flare tensions between regional powers.
Help us improve.
