A court in the Iranian city of Ardabil has sentenced 12 Turkic-speaking Azerbaijanis to 15 years in prison and 888 lashes, Iranian media reports.
They are accused of inciting and carrying out riots against the police during the 44-day Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) war.
During the Second Artsakh War, Turkic-speaking Azerbaijanis took to the streets in some parts of Iran, expressing their support for Azerbaijan. Iranian law enforcement agencies dispersed the protests, arresting the provocateurs.
