On the occasion of the reception of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday (December 9), an alliance of civil society organizations calls on Chancellor Friedrich Merz not to treat the pressing human rights and humanitarian issues in the region as a marginal issue. “Stand up for a just and sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP), the Working Group Recognition – Against Genocide, for International Understanding (AGA), the Central Council of Armenians in Germany (ZAD), and CSI Germany appeal to Chancellor Merz.
The immediate release of Armenian prisoners illegally detained in Azerbaijan, including former political representatives of the de facto Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), is “an essential prerequisite for any credible peace process,” the organizations emphasize. They express concern that the Armenian government under Prime Minister Pashinyan is not doing enough to secure the release of the prisoners or to address the concerns of the population expelled from Nagorno-Karabakh in violation of international law. “Prime Minister Pashinyan apparently sees these displaced persons as a disruptive factor in domestic and foreign policy,” they write in a joint letter to Chancellor Merz.
In addition, they say, it must be ensured that the conditions of detention for Armenian prisoners comply with international standards and conventions, in particular the international standards of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The organizations appeal to Merz to also “address the extremely worrying developments in Armenia itself.” According to the organizations, the restriction of freedom of expression, the politically motivated imprisonment of dissidents and government critics, and the arrest of four archbishops “raise serious questions about the rule of law and the protection of religious and civil liberties.” “Although the Armenian constitution grants the Armenian Apostolic Church a special status due to its historical significance, Pashinyan’s current actions give the impression that he wants to divide the church or bring it under state control,” the letter states.
Another cause for concern is that Armenians living in Germany who publicly criticize the restrictions on the rule of law in Armenia are increasingly afraid that they will no longer be allowed to enter Armenia. The organizations call on Chancellor Merz to address these issues unequivocally in his talks with Pashinyan and to urge him to comply with international human rights standards.
For further information, please contact:
Sarah Reinke from the STP at 65]G378o6<?:6C]D or 0551/49906-13
Jonathan Spangenberg from the ZAD at 8C@]E2C=2CE?6Ko5?2EDC@G
Dr. Tessa Hofmann from the Working Group on Recognition at 65]?2ED2HE2<o??2>7@9]2DD6E or 030/851 64
This press release was translated from German to English using AI. If you come across errors or ambiguities, please contact us at 65]G378o6DD6CA.