The Human Rights Defender Ms. Anahit Manasyan continues to monitor, within the scope of her mandate, issues related to the rights of all ethnic Armenians unlawfully deprived of liberty in Azerbaijan, taking into consideration the importance of upholding universal human rights principles and values.
All processes in Baku related to them are taking place in gross violation of universal principles and values of human rights, as well as international legal standards.
The Defender's continuous monitoring demonstrates that even before individuals were illegally deprived of their liberty, they were already being labeled as “criminals and guilty” at the highest level of authorities in Azerbaijan. Moreover, insults containing hatred and hostility directed at these individuals, calls to kill Armenians, incitement to violence, and a deep-rooted hatred towards Armenians continue to be widely disseminated on media sphere and social media platforms.
It is evident that under the conditions of state-sponsored policy of Armenophobia and ethnic hatred and the violation of the presumption of innocence, the alleged “trials” taking place in Baku contradict the requirements of the right to a fair trial and cannot be considered as being conducted by a fair and impartial court. Various human rights defenders, lawyers, and reputable international actors have raised concerns about the illegality of this process.
The right to a fair trial is enshrined in a number of international legal documents. Moreover, in the context of the aforementioned right, the observance of the principle of the presumption of innocence is considered by the European Court of Human Rights in several scopes, including from the perspective of the need for state bodies and the mass media to observe this principle.
Concerns raised by various actors also indicate that ethnic Armenians under criminal prosecution are deprived of procedural guarantees that are integral to the right to a fair trial, including the right to effective defense by a lawyer of their choice and the assistance of an interpreter with the necessary guarantees. The Human Rights Defender shares these concerns regarding the effective exercise of the right to a defense.
Moreover, reports by the Human Rights Defender of Armenia, various human rights organizations, and reputable international structures (e.g., Human Rights Watch, UN Committee Against Torture) have regularly raised concerns about the manifestations of torture and ill-treatment of ethnic Armenians deprived of their liberty.
The Human Rights Defender emphasizes that all actors with a mandate to protect human rights, including international actors, must take prompt and necessary steps to resolve the mentioned issue. The Defender continues to address all these issues, within the context of her mandate, to actors with a mandate to protect human rights.
