A former Russian tycoon who once led separatist region launches a hunger strike in Azerbaijan jail

FILE – In this photo taken from video released by State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, Ruben Vardanyan, the former head of Nagorno-Karabakh’s separatist government, center, is escorted by Azerbaijani security service agents in Baku, Azerbaijan. Vardanyan, a former Russian tycoon jailed in Azerbaijan on charges stemming from his time as a top separatist figure in the Karabakh region has gone on a hunger strike, his family said Friday April 19, 2024. (State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan via AP, File)