In a joint statement, nearly two dozen Armenian civil society organizations have urged the Armenian government to maintain its international legal actions against Azerbaijan and reject any plans to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group. The statement follows recent comments by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who proposed dropping mutual legal claims and disbanding the Minsk Group in the context of achieving long-term peace with Azerbaijan.
The organizations condemned the Prime Minister’s proposal, labeling it “deeply concerning, unacceptable, and condemnable.” They insisted that the government must under no circumstances abandon the legal complaints filed against Azerbaijan in international courts, as doing so would undermine justice for mass human rights violations committed by Azerbaijan.
The statement emphasized that sustainable peace and stability in the region cannot be achieved without mechanisms to address past and ongoing human rights violations. Such mechanisms are essential not only to ensure accountability but also to prevent future violations and establish a foundation for lasting peace. The signatories argued that without a comprehensive human rights-based approach, peace agreements lack substance and legitimacy.
The organizations further warned that abandoning legal claims would embolden Azerbaijan to continue its discriminatory policies and acts of ethnic hatred against Armenians. These legal cases, filed in both the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), address serious human rights abuses, including forced displacement, torture, extrajudicial killings, and violations of property and personal security. They stressed that relinquishing these cases would be tantamount to endorsing Azerbaijan’s state-sponsored hatred and impunity for war crimes.
The statement also criticized the proposal to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group, which holds the only internationally recognized mandate for resolving the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The organizations argued that dissolving the Minsk Group would legitimize the use of force in conflict resolution, undermining the principles of international law and posing a direct threat to Armenia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The signatories called on the Armenian government to:
- Maintain the legal complaints against Azerbaijan in both the ECHR and ICJ;
- Allocate sufficient resources to ensure the effective defense of these cases;
- Reject any plans to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group.
The statement was signed by prominent civil society organizations, including Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office, and Rights Without Borders NGO.
This collective appeal underscores the critical importance of preserving Armenia’s legal and diplomatic tools in defending its rights and addressing violations committed by Azerbaijan.
Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center
Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office
Rights Without Borders
Democracy Development Foundation
Journalists for Human Rights
Helsinki Association Human Rights NGO
Community Consolidation and Support Center
“Change” NGO
Media Initiatives Center
Pink Human Rights Defender NGO
Ecolur Information NGO
Goris Press Club
Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Armenian Committee
Yezidi Center for Human Rights
Public Journalism Club
Foundation for the Protection and Development of Rights
Educational Center for Equal Rights
Union for the Protection of the Interests and Rights of the People of Artsakh (Artsakh Union)
International and Comparative Law Center
“Arbane” Foundation