Armenian man arrested in Karabakh after alleged shootout

By Alexander Pracht

An Armenian man identified as Karen Avanesyan was arrested in Karabakh’s capital Stepanakert on Sunday after allegedly attempting to stage an armed attack during an official event attended by President Ilham Aliyev, according to Azerbaijani police.

The Azeri authorities have claimed Avanesyan tried to approach the venue of the gathering with a Kalashnikov rifle and five grenades he had earlier hidden in a dead drop, intending to carry out a mass shooting. According to the country’s interior ministry, he resisted arrest and was wounded by return fire before being detained. One police officer was also injured in the shootout, Azerbaijani police reported.

It remains unclear what charges Avanesyan faces. The announcement quickly drew skepticism in Armenia, where many commentators suggested the account could have been fabricated. However, Azerbaijani outlets published what they said was his full government name and birth year. An Azeri TV news report from March 2024 also featured a middle-aged man introduced as “Karen Avanis,” who told reporters in Azerbaijani that he was an Azerbaijani national and had never held Armenian citizenship.

Former Stepanakert residents suggested the man may have mental health issues. Azerbaijani media have also released a CCTV video showing a man resembling the one in the 2024 report walking down deserted streets of Stepanakert shortly before the incident, though the poor quality of the footage makes it impossible to confirm the identification. The clip does not show the alleged shooting attempt or his apprehension.

While just over 100,000 Armenians fled Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023 following Azerbaijan’s nine-month blockade and a one-day military offensive, only a handful remained behind. Various reports suggested that between 10 and 20 mostly elderly Armenians stayed in the region. At least one woman has since died, with her body later handed over by Azerbaijani authorities to Armenia.