Agreements on a number of humanitarian issues in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations remain unaddressed. Contrary to point 8 of the trilateral statement of November 9, 2020, Azerbaijan continues to keep 33 captured Armenian citizens in prison. This is stated in the report on the implementation process and results of the Armenia’s Government Program (2021-2026) in 2022.
Armenia pursues the problem of captured citizens and their return in all international courts, including the European Court of Human Rights, the International Court of Justice. As recorded in the report, during 2022 it was possible to ensure the return of 31 captured Armenian citizens.
The issue of missing persons also remains important in the relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. On the Armenian side, the whereabouts of 975 citizens is considered unknown, 777 of them as a result of the first Karabakh war, 196 as a result of the 44-day war, and 2 as a result of the September aggression.
Armenia consistently raises the issues of forced disappearances, as well as torture of prisoners and torture and dishonor of dead soldiers' corpses in international judicial and diplomatic instances.
In 2022, Armenia returned to Azerbaijan 35 bones of allegedly missing Azerbaijanis and three maps of the possible locations of the bodies.
During 2022, Armenia submitted 4 complaints to the European Court of Human Rights against Azerbaijan:
1. Regarding the massive violations of human rights committed during the 44-day war and in the two months that followed, including violations of the right to life, the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment, the right to private and family life, the right to property and a number of other rights,
2. Regarding violations of rights, including illegal deprivation of freedom, as a result of illegal trials against captured persons,
3. Regarding the violations of human rights as a result of the occupation by the armed forces of Azerbaijan in the sovereign territory of Armenia,
4. In Nagorno-Karabakh, regarding the events of Parukh and Karaglukh and the events that took place in the Lachin Corridor.
During 2022, Armenia filed a complaint against Azerbaijan at the UN International Court of Justice regarding the application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The complaint refers to all manifestations of racial discrimination: propaganda of hatred and anti-Armenianism, including by officials, protection of Armenian cultural heritage objects, falsification of history, consistent propaganda of anti-Armenianism in educational institutions, ethnic cleansing, cases of torture and ill-treatment based on ethnic hatred, murders based on ethnic hatred, beheadings and many other violations, the motive of which is hatred towards ethnic Armenians.
The original lawsuit was filed on September 16, 2021, the full lawsuit was filed on January 23, 2023.
Claims for property and non-property damages have been and will be raised by Armenia in all interstate complaints in court.
