What changed

B100178/2025

European Parliament resolution on the unlawful detention and sham trials of Armenian hostages, including high-ranking political representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh, by Azerbaijan

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on unlawful detention and sham trials of Armenian hostages, including high-ranking political representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh, by Azerbaijan

(2025/2596(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Armenia and Azerbaijan,

– having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas there are over 300 political prisoners in Azerbaijan as well as 23 Armenian prisoners of war, including leaders from Nagorno-Karabakh; whereas many of those arrested were taken into Azerbaijani custody after the September 2023 Azerbaijani military aggression;

A. whereas 23 Armenian hostages are being detained in Azerbaijan, including former de facto Nagorno-Karabakh officials and prisoners of war from the 2020 war and the ethnic cleansing that followed; whereas they are undergoing sham trials and facing serious charges that could result in illegal life imprisonment sentences;

whereas Israel receives Azeri oil in exchange for weapons and drones fueling the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh;

B. whereas these hostages are being subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment, including through banned psychoactive methods; whereas their rights are not respected, including access to independent attorneys and interpreters and the possibility to appeal, receive family visits and be granted suspensions on health grounds; whereas this constitutes a systematic violation by Azerbaijan of international obligations regarding the treatment of prisoners;

whereas those detentions appear to be part of a broader effort by Azerbaijan to intimidate Armenians who were part of its governance structures.

C. whereas Ruben Vardanyan is on hunger strike and his health rapidly deteriorating; whereas the health of the other hostages is also visibly deteriorating;

whereas political prisoner and 2024 Sakharov Prize finalist Gubad Ibadoghlu remains under house arrest and in a dire health condition;

1. Condemns the unjust detention of the Armenian hostages; demands their immediate and unconditional release;

Calls for the unconditional release and safe return of all the prisoners of war, hostages and other detained individuals unlawfully detained in Azerbaijan, including high-ranking officials from Nagorno-Karabakh ; welcomes the statement of UN High Commissioner on Human rights in that regard;

2. Strongly denounces the ongoing sham trials and systematic violations of the fundamental rights of Armenian hostages, and calls on Azerbaijan to fully respect their right to a fair trial and to have access to medical doctors in compliance with international standards; expects an independent investigation into their ill-treatment;

Strongly condemns the shams trials brought against them in violations of due process, lack of transparency, and the use of fabricated or exaggerated charges;

3. Expresses deep concern at the order by the authorities in Baku to close the offices of the ICRC and UN agencies, hindering both support for the Armenian prisoners and humanitarian oversight, and calls on the authorities to review their position;

Invites the authorities to abide by their international commitment and ensure correct treatment of prisoners, protected from torture and other ill-treatment, with medication, food and water;

4. Calls for the EU and Member States’ embassies in Azerbaijan to observe the trials and regularly visit all Armenian hostages; calls on the VP/HR and the EU Special Representative for Human Rights to visit them;

5. Calls for a ban on entrysanctions tounder the EUGlobal institutionsHuman forRights AzerbaijaniSanctions officialsRegime responsibleagainst forall unlawfulAzerbaijani detentionsleaders and officials committing human rights violations, including but not limited to presidingin judgeparticular Zeynalprosecutors Agayev,and judges Jamal Ramazanov andRamazanov, Anar Rzayev,Rzayev and prosecutors;Zeynal Agayev;

6. Calls uponon the International Criminal Court (ICC)to andinvestigate itscases Chiefof Prosecutorthe toforced investigatedisplacement, casespersecution submittedand byethnic cleansing of the CenterArmenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh; calls for Truththe andfull Justiceimplementation andof Nagorno-Karabakhall Ombudspersonsorders onissued by the forcedInternational displacement,Court persecution,of Justice, including Azerbaijan’s obligation to protect from violence and ethnicbodily cleansingharm againstall thepersons Armeniancaptured populationin ofrelation Nagorno-Karabakh;to the 2020 war;

Is particularly concerned by the Azerbaijan’s decision to shut down UN agencies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office in Baku, only entity with access to detained former officials, hence hindering humanitarian oversight;

7. Reiterates its strong call to suspend the 2022 EU-Azerbaijan memorandum of understanding on a strategic partnership in the field of energy; insists that any future partnership agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan be conditional on the release of all political prisoners, the improvement of the human rights situation in the country and on Azerbaijan not unduly delaying the signing of a peace agreement with Armenia and its respecting the rights of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, including the right to return;

Is concerned more generally about the continued repression of civil society and independent media in Azerbaijan ;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the Member States and the Presidents, Governments and parliaments of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Reiterates its calls to immediately suspend the strategic partnership with Azerbaijan in the field of energy ; strongly calls on the effective enforcement by Azerbaijan of human rights commitments with clear benchmarks, including the release of all political prisoners, efforts to ensure peace and security in the region and respect of internationally recognized borders of its neighboring countries

Regrets further that Azerbaijan has not ratified several important International Labour Organisation’s intruments on forced labour, occupational safety or social security ;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, Member States and the President, Government and Parliament of Azerbaijan.