The “Azerbaijan Nuremberg Trial” is ongoing, uncovering sensational details about what transpired in Karabakh—particularly from the 44-day war up to the 2023 anti-terrorist operations and the fall of the occupational junta.
Recently, testimonies from witnesses, including Karabakh Armenians, were heard in court. These witnesses described how mines and other weapons were transported into Karabakh via the Lachin corridor and how Ruben Vardanyan formed militant groups, prioritizing men aged 40-50.
Perhaps the most intriguing statement came from witness Kamo Eduardovich Ayrapetyan. According to him, prior to Ruben Vardanyan’s arrival in Karabakh, there was a serious discussion among the Armenian population about integrating into Azerbaijan. Many Armenians were trying to establish connections with Azerbaijan and were genuinely considering living under Azerbaijani rule and obtaining Azerbaijani citizenship. However, after Vardanyan’s arrival in Khankendi (Stepanakert) in 2022-2023, he launched a campaign of propaganda against Azerbaijan, inciting hostility among local Armenians.
Following the 44-day war, it became evident to rational observers that the “Miatsum” (unification of Karabakh with Armenia) project had collapsed. Armenian claims over Karabakh were always based on military force and occupation of Azerbaijani territory. After Armenia’s military defeat and its de facto capitulation on November 10, 2020, it was clear that the dream of uniting “Armenia and Artsakh” was no longer viable.
At that time, Azerbaijan openly stated that it considered the Armenians of Karabakh its citizens, offering them full civil and national rights. Moreover, Baku agreed to the presence of Russian peacekeepers, seemingly giving Karabakh Armenians time to decide whether they wished to reintegrate into Azerbaijani society or leave for Armenia.
However, in the autumn of 2022, Ruben Vardanyan arrived in Karabakh. He did not merely record a video under an ancient plane tree—he restarted the “Miatsum” project from scratch, using the rhetoric and symbols of 1988, organizing rallies in Khankendi, and bringing in crowds from Yerevan. Azerbaijani analysts had warned about this at the time, and now, witnesses in court are confirming these facts.
When traveling to Karabakh, Ruben Vardanyan formally renounced his Russian citizenship. However, he remained a Kremlin-affiliated oligarch, having played a role in numerous sensitive projects for Moscow. This includes funding Russia’s Skolkovo project, and more notably, financing and supporting Russian military aggression against Ukraine. His involvement in the Troika-Dialog bank scandal, a massive money-laundering operation, also raises questions about high-level Kremlin backing.
Most tellingly, Vardanyan’s easy entry into Karabakh, at a time when Russian peacekeepers controlled nearly all access routes, suggests he was acting under Moscow’s orders. His mission was clear: to derail the reintegration of Karabakh Armenians into Azerbaijani society at the Kremlin’s behest.
Since February 1988, when Armenia first made territorial claims over Azerbaijani Karabakh, the Kremlin has used this conflict as a tool to pressure both Armenia and—more significantly—Azerbaijan. After the Soviet Union collapsed, Moscow struggled to exert economic leverage over Azerbaijan, so it relied on the Karabakh conflict as a means of control.
This conflict allowed Russia to:
Create instability in Azerbaijan
Disrupt Azerbaijani oil and gas pipelines bypassing Russia
Justify the continued presence of Russian troops in the region
After Azerbaijan’s victory in November 2020, Russia sought ways to prolong the conflict. Moscow consistently pushed for vague “special statuses” for Karabakh—a strategy designed to perpetuate tensions indefinitely.
With Vardanyan’s arrival in Khankendi, attempts to implement a “Tskhinvali” or “Donbas” scenario in Karabakh became evident. In fact, it was not Vardanyan himself but Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who made direct comparisons between Karabakh and Donbas.
Vardanyan’s efforts to re-ignite the conflict collapsed in September 2023, following Azerbaijan’s successful anti-terrorist operations.
However, his mission in Karabakh should not be forgotten or dismissed. The renewed wave of landmines, fortifications under Russian peacekeeper protection, and formation of terrorist groups all point to a broader Kremlin-backed effort to destabilize Azerbaijan. These events raise serious questions about how Armenian militants were able to pass through Russian peacekeeping zones unhindered.
Although Azerbaijan successfully dismantled these plans, ignoring their origins would be a mistake. It is crucial to remember who orchestrated these efforts and to remain vigilant against future attempts to use Karabakh as a geopolitical bargaining chip.
In politics, complacency comes at a high price—one that Azerbaijan cannot afford to pay.
Nurani
