Azerbaijan issues protest to Russia over lawmaker's comments on Karabakh trial

Azerbaijan issued a strong protest to Russia on Friday after a Russian lawmaker condemned the sentencing of 13 ethnic Armenians who had held senior positions in the former breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.



Five defendants, including former Karabakh leader Arayik Harutyunyan, were sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday by an Azerbaijani military court. Eight others received prison terms ranging from 15 to 20 years.



Konstantin Zatulin, a member of Russia's lower house of parliament, the State Duma, said the proceedings had been a settling of scores, not a trial.



In response, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry said it had summoned Russia's ambassador and told him that Zatulin's language was unacceptable.