Armenia Stands Firm: No Plans to Withdraw Legal Claims Against Azerbaijan

Armenia remains committed to defending its rights and the rights of the people of Artsakh through international law. Despite pressure and misinformation, Yerevan confirms that no legal claims against Azerbaijan will be withdrawn, and the pursuit of justice continues.

Armenia’s Representative on International Legal Matters, Karen Andreasyan, reaffirmed that the government has no plans to withdraw or cancel any of its legal cases against Azerbaijan in international courts. According to Andreasyan, every lawsuit remains active, and Armenia continues to represent its interests firmly at all legal levels.

He emphasized that Armenia’s legal actions are ongoing in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and other international institutions. These cases are vital for defending the rights of Armenian prisoners of war, displaced civilians from Artsakh, and the families who continue to suffer from Azerbaijan’s aggression and human rights violations.

Andreasyan made it clear that discussions about a possible withdrawal of claims are unfounded. He noted that no such proposals have ever been received or discussed within the government. If any change were to happen, he stated, it would require an official decision by Armenia’s legal and constitutional institutions — something that has not occurred and is not being considered.

The clarification comes after public debate regarding a so-called peace treaty draft between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which included a clause suggesting that both sides withdraw all legal and arbitration complaints. According to Article 15 of the pre-signed draft, the parties would have to drop all ongoing disputes and refrain from filing new ones.

However, Armenia’s position remains clear: peace cannot come at the cost of justice. The crimes committed by Azerbaijan — from the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war to the recent ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s Armenian population — demand accountability under international law.

Following the 2020 war, Armenia filed multiple legal claims against both Azerbaijan and Turkey. These cases address the systematic violations of human rights, including torture, execution, and illegal imprisonment of Armenian soldiers and civilians. They also cover Azerbaijan’s incursions into Armenia’s sovereign territory and the forced expulsion of Armenians from their ancestral homes in Artsakh.

Currently, seven interstate complaints involving Armenia are under review by the European Court of Human Rights. Four of these directly target Azerbaijan’s crimes, focusing on the 44-day war, the illegal detention of prisoners of war, the invasion of Armenian border areas, and the mass displacement of Artsakh Armenians. Another case targets Turkey for providing direct military and logistical support to Azerbaijan during the war.

Azerbaijan has filed two counterclaims, but they are largely seen as attempts to obscure its own violations and divert attention from its ongoing policy of hostility and Armenophobia.

In September 2021, Armenia also filed a case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing Azerbaijan of violating the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The case exposes Azerbaijan’s state-backed hatred toward Armenians, including propaganda promoting violence, torture of prisoners, and deliberate destruction of Armenian churches, cemeteries, and cultural heritage sites in Artsakh.

The ICJ responded by granting Armenia’s request for provisional measures in December 2021. The court ordered Azerbaijan to protect Armenian prisoners of war and to prevent any racial discrimination against Armenians. Despite the ruling, Baku has failed to comply, continuing to hold captives and to destroy Armenian cultural landmarks.

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