ANKARA

Criminal cases have been opened against 422 people, 99 of whom are army officers, as part of an investigation that in looking into the reasons why Armenia was defeated by Azerbaijan in a 44-day Karabakh conflict, officials said Friday.

The chairperson of Armenia's Investigative Committee Argishti Kyaramyan said the statements of approximately 17,000 people were taken against those thought to be responsible for pre-war preparations and the defeat of Armenia during the war.

The investigations are close to being finalized though trials are still underway, he said.

Relations between the two former Soviet republics have been tense since 1991 when the Armenian military occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, and seven adjacent regions.


Most of the territory was liberated by Azerbaijan during a war in the fall of 2020 which ended after a Russian-brokered peace agreement and also opened the door to normalization.

In September, the Azerbaijani army initiated an anti-terrorism operation in Karabakh to establish constitutional order in the region, after which illegal separatist forces surrendered. It put an end to more than 30 years of Armenian occupation of the region.

Earlier this month, the two countries traded prisoners of war at their border following a landmark joint statement.

*Writing by Merve Berker