20 September 2024,   01:41
more
Azerbaijani authorities detained Ruben Vardanyan, a former self-proclaimed prime minister of Nagorno-Karabakh

The Azerbaijani authorities have detained Ruben Vardanyan, a former self-proclaimed prime minister of Nagorno-Karabakh region, as he was trying to leave for Armenia, the Azerbaijani Border Service said.

He was reportedly detained in the Lachin corridor and then brought to Baku.

Russian-Armenian investor and billionaire Vardanyan held senior positions in several Russian companies and founded one of Russia"s largest investment banks, Troika Dialog.

He has been placed on Ukraine’s sanctions list for his role as a board member of the Russian air cargo company Volga Dnepr, which provides material support to the Russian military.

In 2022, Vardanyan said that he renounced Russian citizenship and moved to Nagorno-Karabakh, where he has served as the „state minister“ [a position equivalent to a prime minister] of Nagorno-Karabakh between November 2022 and February 2023.

MORE HEADLINES