Former Nagorno-Karabakh Official Detained in Syunik for Espionage

In October of last year, Tatul Hakobyan, a journalist from Armenia, reported that Azerbaijan had appointed Galstyan as Stepanakert’s “commandant.” Hakobyan additionally reported that Galstyan had previously held several positions in Nagorno-Karabakh’s former government — including in its National Security Service — and had enjoyed good relations with former presidents Bako Sahakyan and Samvel Shahramanyan.

Galstyan was also appointed deputy head of the presidential staff by Shahramanyan’s decree in September.

With all but a handful of the region’s Armenian population fleeing to Armenia following Nagorno-Karabakh’s surrender to Azerbaijan in September of last year, Galstyan and his wife were one of the few Armenians who remained in the region. The territories previously inhabited by over 100,000 Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh have since been largely deserted.

In an interview with RFE/RL, Nagorno-Karabakh’s former Human Rights Defender Gegham Stepanyan stated that the charges brought against Galstyan could be because of his rumored appointment as commandant in Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, his decision to stay in the region following its surrender, or his posts on social media.

Stepanyan told RFE/RL in December that Baku sponsored content created by the few of the region’s remaining population to influence Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to return.

He added that Galstyan’s wife had been posting videos from the deserted region stating it was safe.