Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002048/2025/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 144
Nicolas Bay (ECR)
Since the ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh, which saw more than 130 000 Armenians forced to flee their ancestral land, several citizens of Armenian origin have been arrested by the Azerbaijani authorities and are currently being tried in Baku. The Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Belgium stated that the trials were public and that diplomats and politicians could attend[1][2].
With tensions high between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the peace treaty, the EU must remain vigilant as regards respect for fundamental rights, including the right to a fair trial.
As it is engaged in strategic partnerships with these two Caucasus countries, including a controversial gas agreement with Baku, the EU has a responsibility to ensure its relations are founded on democratic principles. The European Parliament’s support for closer ties with Armenia sends a strong signal for a more balanced commitment[3].
Is the Commission going to ask the EU Delegation in Azerbaijan to mandate an observer to attend the hearings of these trials on a daily basis to ensure that the international standards of justice and a fair procedure are being upheld?
Submitted: 21.5.2025
- [1] ‘The court proceedings are open, any person be it any citizen of any country, foreigner or foreign diplomat or journalist can attend this proceedings. You have your embassy in Baku, they are free to go and to provide directly to you all the information’, reply to Belgian politician Pierre Kompany, on 8 April 2025, at the hearing of Vagif Sadikov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the Committee on External Affairs of the Belgian Federal Parliament, on a resolution on Nagorno-Karabakh.
- [2] ‘Political access to the political prisoners, well I already mentioned well you have excellent ambassador of Belgium in Baku Mr. Ambassador Julien De Fraipont, he is welcomed to attend the court proceedings anytime when he wants’, reply to Belgian politician Els Van Hoof in the same interview.
- [3] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-9-2024-0166_EN.html