Azerbaijan Detains Former Nagorno-Karabakh Leader Amid Growing Armenian Exodus

Azerbaijan has arrested Ruben Vardanyan, a former leader of Nagorno-Karabakh, as he attempted to leave the enclave for Armenia. Over 47,000 ethnic Armenians have fled Nagorno-Karabakh since it was seized by Azerbaijan last week. Vardanyan's wife has appealed for his safe release. Azerbaijani authorities claimed to be searching for "war crimes" suspects among the ethnic Armenians crossing the border. Western governments, including Germany and the US, are calling for international observers to monitor the treatment of the local population in Karabakh.