Russian-Armenian billionaire Ruben Vardanyan, who briefly held a top political job in the self-proclaimed state of Nagorno-Karabakh, has been arrested while attempting to leave the breakaway enclave, after Azerbaijan seized control of the region.
The former banking executive, who has ties to Russian oligarchs and politicians but moved to Karabakh last year, was arrested by Azerbaijani security services as he was making his way out of the mountainous region alongside thousands of refugees.
“My husband . . . has been arrested and held captive by the Azerbaijani authorities at the border as he attempted to leave this morning, along with thousands of Armenians escaping Azerbaijani occupation,” Veronika Zonabend said on Wednesday.
Read the full story on the Financial Times here.