BAKU – Azerbaijan’s government called in the European Union’s top diplomat Friday to formally object to a recent EU resolution that criticized how the country handles Armenian detainees and supports the rights of people from Nagorno-Karabakh.
The EU measure criticized what it termed Azerbaijan’s “unjust detention” of Armenian prisoners of war, detainees and hostages and demanded their immediate release. The resolution also restated EU support for the rights of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and called for accountability for the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious heritage.
Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry Friday rejected the resolution as “unfounded and biased,” stating that Karabakh Armenians had departed the area of their own accord. The ministry added that individuals the EU describes as prisoners of war had committed serious crimes, including war crimes.
Armenian ethnic groups in Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, separated from Baku’s authority as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
Two conflicts erupted between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the mountainous region before Baku regained control in 2023, prompting the entire Armenian population of approximately 100,000 residents to escape to Armenia.
Karabakh leaders detained during that period faced trial in Baku starting in January 2025, facing multiple accusations including war crimes. International human rights organizations have expressed concerns about whether the proceedings are fair.
In February, Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian-born billionaire banker who held a high-ranking position in Nagorno-Karabakh, received a 20-year prison sentence.
