A military court in Baku on November 7 sentenced Vagif Khachatrian, an ethnic Armenian from Nagorno-Karabakh, to 15 years in prison after finding him guilty of genocide and the forced deportation of civilians, charges he vehemently denies. Azerbaijan's military detained Khachatrian in late July as he was leaving the breakaway region for Armenia. Investigators said Khachatrian was among soldiers who killed 25 Azerbaijanis, wounded 14 more, and forced 358 residents of the village of Mesali to leave their homes in December 1991. Khachatrian's relatives have insisted the charges are groundless. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service, click here.
Karabakh Armenian Accused Of Genocide, Jailed 15 Years In Azerbaijan
Vagif Khachatrian appears in court in October.