EU urges Azerbaijan to ensure right to fair trial, adequate detention conditions for Armenian prisoners

The EU takes the ‘concerns’ over ill-treatment of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan ‘very seriously’ and closely follows the developments, lead spokesperson of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Anitta Hipper told Armenpress when asked to comment on the ongoing sham trials and reports of ill-treatment of Armenian POWs and other detainees. 

The EU spokesperson underscored that Azerbaijan ought to ensure the right to a fair trial and adequate detention condition for the Armenian POWs and detainees.

“It is of great importance that Azerbaijan ensures the right to a fair trial and adequate detention conditions, in line with its international commitments. The alleged war crimes and other offences need to be investigated in a transparent manner. We are aware that the Armenian government and others, namely human rights organisations, have expressed concerns over the treatment of the defendants. We take these concerns very seriously and are closely following the developments. Azerbaijani authorities should promptly and impartially investigate all allegations of ill-treatment and if so, hold those responsible to account. The trials at Baku Military Court touch on the much larger question of achieving lasting and sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We therefore continue to call on both Armenia and Azerbaijan to build on their achievements and to continue making progress on their path towards full normalisation of relations. The EU will continue to support this process with all the tools at its disposal,” Anitta Hipper told Armenpress. 

Azerbaijan has officially acknowledged that it is holding 23 Armenian prisoners despite a post-war obligation to release all POWs and detainees. 

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan earlier described the Azeri trial as “mock trials.”

The detainees include former top officials of Nagorno-Karabakh such as the former presidents Bako Sahakyan, Arkady Ghukasyan and Arayik Harutyunyan, as well as former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan. They were arrested after the 2023 Azeri offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh which resulted in the forced displacement of the region’s entire Armenian population of over 100,000. 

The former officials are all facing fabricated charges in what many experts and officials have described as sham trials.