Lawyer: Withdrawal of international lawsuits risks legitimizing Azerbaijan’s gains

Under pressure from Azerbaijan, the so-called peace agreement includes a clause obliging both Yerevan and Baku to withdraw the lawsuits against each other from international courts. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan claims that every article in the agreement imposes mutual obligations and is not one-sided. But is that statement truthful, or is a capitulation clause once again being portrayed as a diplomatic achievement?

Human rights lawyer Siranush Sahakyan, who represents Armenian prisoners at the European Court of Human Rights, shared her concerns in an interview with Panorama.am. Below are key takeaways from the interview.

• Azerbaijan has been filing retaliatory claims, essentially mirroring Armenia’s legitimate lawsuits. While Armenia, as the victim, has filed lawsuits regarding discriminatory policies and human rights violations, Azerbaijan has attempted to present parallel accusations despite the fact that Azerbaijani citizens have never been subjected to ethnic persecution, torture, or murder by Armenia.

• International courts have largely dismissed Azerbaijan’s motions. Out of three key proposals made by Armenia, two were upheld as valid. Consequently, the scope of Azerbaijan’s complaint has already been reduced by two-thirds, with only one-third deemed admissible at this stage. I am confident that even that portion will eventually be rejected after further review. Therefore, my first point is that Azerbaijan’s legal claims lack merit.

• If Armenia withdraws its lawsuits, it effectively legitimizes Azerbaijan’s gains. That means we are implicitly accepting Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia and its military presence on sovereign Armenian territory. It also implies acceptance of the loss of Artsakh’s autonomous status and the denial of Artsakh Armenians’ right to repatriation.

• Azerbaijan’s efforts to avoid legal and judicial mechanisms at all costs indicate that true peace is not their objective. Instead of engaging in peaceful dispute resolution, Azerbaijan is pursuing other unacceptable methods, including the use of military force.