Siranush Sahakyan, Director of the “International and Comparative Law Center” and the the Armenian office of the “Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights”, in an interview with Sputnik Armenia addresses the recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights and its implications in the context of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations.
On April 9, 2026, the European Court of Human Rights rejected Azerbaijan’s latest application and once again obliged Baku to provide information on the conditions of detention of Armenian prisoners, including their latest medical records, documents on medical examinations, and treatment received. In addition, the Court obliged Azerbaijan to submit the prisoners’ verdicts by August 31.
According to Sahakyan, Azerbaijan is currently resisting and failing to comply with international judicial acts related to the protection of Armenian prisoners, however, this resistance cannot be indefinite. "There is resistance from Azerbaijan's side, and they do not comply with international court rulings willingly. This is state conduct pursued at the highest level - but it is clear that it generates negative consequences: a decline in the state's international reputation and the building of pressure across political platforms. In every scenario, Azerbaijan is losing resources, and those resources are not infinite. However much it resists and refuses to implement court decisions right now, this cannot be an endless or indefinite process," said Sahakyan
Speaking about the evolving dynamics of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, Sahakyan noted that a change in Azerbaijan’s behavior is possible under conditions of increasing political pressure. Sahakyan urged against drawing premature conclusions regarding the ineffectiveness of international law, instead calling for a measured, long-term assessment of the situation. “Diminishing the role of law is an Azerbaijan thesis but our task is to demonstrate the force of law. We need to approach these matters with slightly longer-term perspectives,” said Sahakyan.