ECtHR Gives Azerbaijan November 4 Deadline!

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has taken a decisive step against Azerbaijan, demanding that the country provide a full report on the condition and treatment of the 23 Armenian prisoners being held in Baku. These Armenians, captured during the blockade followed by the forced deportation, remain unlawfully detained, cut off from the outside world and from international humanitarian monitoring. The ECtHR has set a deadline of November 4 for Azerbaijan to submit the report, marking another important reminder that international law cannot be ignored.

Back in July, Azerbaijan petitioned the ECtHR to be excused from submitting information about the Armenian captives. According to attorney Siranush Sahakyan, the legal representative of Armenian POWs at the ECtHR, this was an attempt by Baku to avoid accountability. Thanks to objections from the Armenian government and the prisoners’ representatives, including Sahakyan herself, the court rejected Azerbaijan’s request and forced Baku to provide the report.

For almost three months, the 23 Armenian captives have been in complete isolation. No independent international organizations have been allowed to see them, and no new information has emerged about their physical health, mental well-being, or legal situation.

The issue of Armenian prisoners is not only about human rights—it is about peace itself. As Yeghishe Kirakosyan recently emphasized during a discussion, peace cannot exist without addressing humanitarian issues.

Azerbaijan’s refusal to release Armenian prisoners is not only a violation of international law but also a deliberate obstacle to peace.

For decades, Azerbaijan has pursued a policy of denial and distortion, trying to rewrite history and silence the Armenian narrative of Artsakh and beyond. Azerbaijan is trying to erase the Armenian presence of Artsakh, silence those who resist, and manipulate the story in its favor. 

Without prisoner release, there can be no genuine peace.

Raise awareness. Demand justice.

Read the full article by "The Armenian Report" following the link: https://www.thearmenianreport.com/post/echr-gives-azerbaijan-november-4-deadline-to-report-on-armenian-prisoners-conditions