Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Azeri soldiers charged with war crimes

Azerbaijan has said it has charged two of its soldiers with mutilating the bodies of Armenian soldiers during the recent conflict in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The men allegedly filmed their actions and posted the videos on social media.

Two other soldiers were arrested on suspicion of destroying tombstones belonging to Armenians.

The Azerbaijani prosecutor general said the incidents were "contrary to the mentality of the Azerbaijani people".

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Azerbaijan and Armenia have also announced the start of a prisoner exchange, with some returns already beginning on Monday.

"Forty-four of our prisoners of war will soon return to Armenia by Russian aircraft," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan wrote on Facebook.

Nagorno-Karabakh has long been a trigger for violence between the two countries.

The region is recognised as part of Azerbaijan but has been run by ethnic Armenians since 1994 after the two countries fought a war over the territory which left thousands dead.

The latest conflict began at the end of September, killing around 5,000 soldiers on both sides.

At least 143 civilians died and thousands were displaced when their homes were damaged or soldiers entered their communities.

A Russian-brokered truce failed to bring about lasting peace and the area, claimed by both sides, has been prone to intermittent clashes.

Both countries have accused the other of violating the terms of the November peace deal and the latest hostilities flout the ceasefire.

Azerbaijan's defence ministry said on Sunday that four of its soldiers had been killed in new clashes.

Armenia said six of its own troops had been wounded in what it called an Azerbaijani military offensive.