Concerning: Release of Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh detained in Azerbaijan and return of displaced Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh

To: His Excellency, Mr. Luc FRIEDEN
Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
His Excellency, Mr. Xavier BETTEL
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

Subject: Urgent Appeal for Action to Support the Release of Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh detained in Azerbaijan and return of displaced Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh

Excellencies,

We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Luxembourg and concerned members of the international community, write to you with deep concern regarding the continued imprisonment of ethnic Armenian political leaders and residents of Nagorno-Karabakh by the Republic of Azerbaijan following the beginning of hostilities 2020 and, more recently, its military offensive of 19 September 2023.

Despite repeated calls from international and European institutions, including the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, dozens of Armenian individuals remain imprisoned under conditions that raise grave legal and humanitarian concerns. These include charges that appear politically motivated, trials lacking transparency, and violations of fair trial standards under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the Geneva Conventions and broader principles of international humanitarian law.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its binding order of 17 November 2023, urged the Republic of Azerbaijan to ensure the safe, unimpeded, and expeditious return of displaced Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh, and to safeguard their identity, property, and legal documentation. However, this order has not been effectively implemented. A significant portion of the dis-placed population remains unable to return under conditions of safety and dignity.

Luxembourg has long been a vocal advocate for human rights, peace, and justice on the global stage and voiced several times its concerns on the dramatic developments in Nagorno-Karabakh, ending with the military offensive in September 2023. For these reasons, we believe that the Grand Duchy can play a significant role in the current circumstances by:

1. Publicly condemning the detention and unfair trials of Armenian detainees from Nagorno-Karabakh in Azerbaijan;
2. Calling for their immediate and unconditional release as a means of détente, tension relief and normalization of the relations among countries in the South Caucasus’ area and, in any case, for the application of the Geneva Conventions’ and ECHR’s rules on, inter alia, fair trial and humane detainees’ treatment;
3. Demanding that independent national and international press and non-governmental organisations (NGO) can attend the audiences of the detainees and visit them during their detention;
4. Demanding regular visits by independent medical teams to Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians detained in Azerbaijan and that, in general, their health conditions be protected and preserved throughout their trial and up and until the end of their detention;
5. Raising this issue within the European Union’s (EU) institutions and bodies, as well as at international forums, encouraging collective diplomatic action in favor of their release, and, in any case, the application of the Geneva Conventions’ and ECHR’s rules on, inter alia, fair trial and humane treatment;
6. Voicing with the EU institutions, fellow EU and international partners the need to ensure that displaced Armenians who left after 19 September 2023, and wish to return to, Nagorno-Karabakh, be able to do so in a safe, unimpeded and expeditious manner, and that their identity, properties, documents and records be duly preserved and protected by the Republic of Azerbaijan, in conformity with the order of the International Court of Justice of 17 November 2023;
7. Spend all diplomatic efforts possible with the Azerbaijani authorities to urge compliance with the Geneva Conventions, humanitarian rights, the rules of ECDH and the orders of the International Court of Justice.

The plight of these detainees is not only a legal issue but a moral one. Their continued imprisonment threatens to undermine peace efforts in the region and sets a dangerous precedent for the treatment of civilians and prisoners of war in conflict zones.

We respectfully urge you to consider taking a principled stance in defense of human dignity and justice by addressing the issue. Your leadership and Luxembourg’s moral voice can be pivotal in securing the release of detainees and contribute to the devel-opment of a more peaceful and just resolution in South Caucasus.