Artsakh Union calls on MEPs to attend trials of Armenian prisoners of  war in Baku

ArmInfo.  The Artsakh Union called on MEPs to travel to Baku and attend the upcoming court hearings of Armenian prisoners of war to ensure transparency, prevent  further violations, and hold Azerbaijan accountable in accordance  with international law, as stated  in a report the Union submitted to  the European Parliament on 23 Armenian hostages unlawfully held in  Azerbaijan.

According to the Union's press service, the report details the status  of all 23 hostages, including their legal history, charges, and the  conditions of the sham trials taking place in Azerbaijani courts. In  this regard, it is noted that seven of the Armenian prisoners of war  have already been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 to 20  years on false charges, while the remaining sixteen are currently  awaiting similar sentences.

According to the source, the report documents violations of  international humanitarian law and human rights, including the denial  of prisoner-of-war status, the lack of due process, decades of  politically motivated charges, and credible reports of torture and  ill-treatment. "It highlights the deterioration of control  mechanisms, particularly following the closure of the International  Committee of the Red Cross office in Azerbaijan in 2025. The report  contains information on the international community's response,  including numerous demands and calls made by EU institutions, UN  special procedures, the International Court of Justice, and the  European Court of Human Rights for the immediate release of prisoners  of war. It also presents recommendations that must be adopted by the  international community without delay," the Artsakh Union added. As  the organization further noted, the report emphasizes that the  illegal trials of Armenian prisoners of war are nothing more than a  political stunt and part of a broader strategy aimed at blaming the  victims and concealing crimes committed against the Armenian  population of Artsakh. 

In this regard, it is stated that several international  organizations, including the UN Human Rights Committee, Freedom  House, and the US State Department, have documented the lack of an  independent and impartial judicial system in Azerbaijan. Moreover,  the US State Department stated that there is "credible evidence that  judges and prosecutors took instructions from the presidential  administration and the Ministry of Justice, particularly in  politically sensitive cases," while the European Court of Human  Rights noted a "disturbing pattern" of repressive criminal  prosecutions and arbitrary arrests of government critics, civil  society activists, and human rights defenders. "In this context, it  is emphasized that the ongoing politically motivated persecution of  23 Armenian prisoners of war is yet another act of gross violation of  international law and reflects the strategy employed against  Armenians by the Ottoman Empire in 1915 with the aim of eliminating  the leadership of the people and sowing fear," the Union noted.

Furthermore, it is noted that the trial of Armenian prisoners of war  is a message from Azerbaijan to the 150,000 forcibly displaced  Armenians of Artsakh: do not return. "Because any attempt to return  to their homeland will lead to further persecution," the organization  clarified.

Meanwhile, as the Artsakh Union noted, under international law, all  23 Armenian prisoners of war meet the definition of state hostages.  "These sham trials are a vivid example of Azerbaijan's long-standing  and systemic policy of discrimination against Armenians, which is  thoroughly documented by international treaties and UN special  procedures, the European Court of Human Rights, the International  Court of Justice, the Council of Europe, and leading international  human rights organizations. The Artsakh Union and its partners call  on the international community to act decisively and immediately,"  the organization stated. According to the source, the report was  prepared jointly with partner organizations such as the Center for  International and Comparative Law, the Rule of Law NGO, the Armenian  Legal Front, and a group of individual human rights defenders.