Ahead of the 8th European Political Community summit and the Armenia–EU summit, around 30 human rights organizations in Armenia sent an open letter to Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, urging support for the release of Armenian detainees held in Baku.
The letter states that despite calls by various international bodies for the immediate and unconditional release of Armenian detainees, including a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on March 12, 2025, Azerbaijan continues to unlawfully hold 19 Armenian detainees, causing suffering to their families.
“You lead an institution for which the protection of human rights and humanitarian issues are fundamental values. Respect for these principles is the basis for achieving lasting peace.
We appreciate the European Union’s efforts toward the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan and expect your active support in enabling the immediate return of Armenian detainees. The release and repatriation of all Armenians deprived of liberty in the context of the armed conflict is essential for the peace process and a key confidence-building measure.
Such support becomes even more urgent in light of deeply concerning statements by Azerbaijani officials, indicating no intention to return former Nagorno-Karabakh officials. Under conditions of serious violations of fair trial standards, verdicts have been issued that have not even been provided to detainees or their independent lawyers, effectively obstructing their right to appeal to international courts. The termination of the activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Azerbaijan, at the government’s request, has deprived Armenian detainees of any international humanitarian mechanism.
We, the undersigned human rights organizations, are convinced that the European Union can play a decisive role in securing the release of Armenian detainees held in Baku. It is evident that for Armenian society, Azerbaijan’s promises of peace cannot be credible while Armenians remain detained and subjected to suffering.
We therefore appeal to you and to the leaders of all European countries to take steps to ensure that detained Armenians are released as soon as possible and reunited with their families. We firmly believe that the European Union can help resolve this urgent humanitarian issue and put an end to the suffering of many Armenian families,” the statement says.
The letter was signed by numerous organizations, including the Center for International and Comparative Law, Protection of Rights Without Borders NGO, Transparency International Anti-Corruption Center, Armenian Progressive Youth NGO, the Vanadzor Office of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly, Public Journalism Club NGO, Law Development and Protection Foundation, Direct Democracy NGO, Regional Center for Democracy and Security, and others.
