Azerbaijan arrests former Karabakh Foreign Minister, Presidential Advisor

David Babayan, the former foreign minister and presidential advisor of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, has been arrested by Azerbaijani authorities, according to Azerbaijan's prosecutor general's office.

Babayan said on September 28 that he would turn himself into Azerbaijani authorities amid a mass exodus of ethnic Armenians fleeing Nagorno-Karabakh.

The arrest comes after Azerbaijani forces detained Aurora Humanitarian Initiative co-founder and former Nagorno-Karabakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan on September 27. Vardanyan was arrested while traveling to Armenia with tens of thousands of other ethnic Armenians leaving Nagorno-Karabakh.

Meanwhile, Armenpress reported that hundreds rallied on Saturday in Yerevan to support Vardanyan and all other detained Armenians. Demonstrators accused Azerbaijan of pressing "ridiculous and fake" charges and demanded the "unconditional, immediate and safe release" of all prisoners.

The protesters marched to the Matena International School of Leadership, founded by Vardanyan. Arman Jilavyan, CEO of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, read a statement signed by global humanitarian leaders supporting Vardanyan.

Photo: Armenpress