Armenian scenario in the European Parliament Political pressure instead of justice

The Armenian lobby in the European Parliament is attempting to promote a distorted agenda regarding the citizens of Armenia accused of committing serious crimes, including torture, mercenary activity, violation of laws and customs of war, terrorism, financing terrorism, and other crimes outlined in the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. 

On March 12, during a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, a discussion will be held on the so-called "Armenian prisoners" in Baku under the title "unlawful detention and sham trials of Armenian hostages, including high-ranking political representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh, by Azerbaijan." It is also reported that an urgent resolution on this issue will be put to a vote on March 13.

To date, legal charges have been filed under various articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan against the following individuals: Arayik Vladimiri Harutyunyan, Arkadi Arshaviri Ghukasyan, Bako Sahaki Sahakyan, David Rubeni Ishkhanyan, David Azatini Manukyan, David Klimi Babayan, Levon Henrikovich Mnatsakanyan, Vasili Ivani Beglaryan, Erik Roberti Ghazaryan, David Nelsoni Allahverdyan, Gurgen Homeri Stepanyan, Levon Romiki Balayan, Madat Arakelovich Babayan, Garik Grigori Martirosyan, and Melikset Vladimiri Pashayan.

Firstly, Azerbaijan is acting strictly within the framework of national and international law. The trial in Baku of those accused of numerous crimes is an internal matter for the Republic of Azerbaijan, and any attempts at external interference are unacceptable.

Secondly, the practice of pushing Armenian interests in the European Parliament is not new. Azerbaijan has faced this since the occupation of its territories. This practice is a clear example of the double standards that Baku encounters in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), and several other European structures. Therefore, it is no surprise that a biased provocation, developed according to Armenian templates and generously funded by the Armenian diaspora, is once again being prepared in the corrupt European Parliament.

Last month, discussions began in the European Parliament regarding the adoption of an urgent resolution in support of the "Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan." This topic is being increasingly promoted by a certain group of parliamentarians lobbying Armenian interests. The initiator of this is the well-known pro-Armenian Member of the European Parliament from Cyprus, Costas Mavrides. In an interview with Alpha News, he stated that he had proposed that the parliament consider a resolution in March calling for the "immediate release of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan."

This Member of the European Parliament has repeatedly expressed similar views in the past. For example, in April 2016, during a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, he supported the recognition of the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" as "independent" and called for the development of mechanisms to investigate border incidents. He claimed that "the Armenian side agreed to these mechanisms, but Azerbaijan did not," once again demonstrating one-sided support for the Armenian position.

During the same session, proposals were made to impose sanctions against Azerbaijan — not surprising, given that the European Parliament has long been heavily influenced by the Armenian lobby. Behind many anti-Azerbaijani statements, there are not principles, but rather basic financial interests. Some Members of the European Parliament are closely tied to the financial "lifeline" of Armenian oligarchs.

Thus, it is highly likely that the European Parliament will vote in favor of a resolution beneficial to the Armenian side — in the hope of casting Azerbaijan in a negative light before the international community and, as always, at the expense of justice and the rule of law.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament is increasingly losing ground within the EU — partly due to high-profile corruption scandals that have undermined its reputation. One of the most notable incidents occurred in December 2022, when Belgian authorities conducted large-scale raids and seized €1.5 million in cash as part of an investigation into a massive bribery scheme within EU structures. At the center of the scandal were well-known figures with sympathies towards the Armenian lobby: Greek MEP Eva Kaili, former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, parliamentary assistant Francesco Giorgi, and NGO head Niccolò Figà-Talamanca. All were accused of receiving large bribes in exchange for influencing economic and political decisions within the European Parliament on behalf of one of the Gulf countries.

This is just one example demonstrating how deeply tarnished the European Parliament's reputation is. Before attempting to interfere in Azerbaijan's internal affairs, the EP should focus on cleaning up its own ranks.

Furthermore, before voting for yet another biased and politicized resolution, Members of the European Parliament should familiarize themselves with the testimonies given by the defendants in Baku. For example, Levon Mnatsakanyan confirmed that he participated in the war against Azerbaijan as part of the Armenian regular army and that arms supplies to separatists in April 2016 were also carried out by Yerevan. Arayik Harutyunyan stated that decisions regarding strikes on Azerbaijani territory were made in Yerevan and confirmed that the so-called "Army of Defence of Karabakh" was subordinate to the Chief of Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces.

These confessions completely debunk the narrative of the "independence" of the separatist regime in Karabakh and testify to Armenia's direct military aggression. These facts already cast doubt on the legitimacy of any future resolution by the European Parliament on this issue and show that attempts by the European Parliament to portray Azerbaijan as the aggressor are baseless and doomed to fail. If, however, another resolution based on distorted facts and political lobbying is adopted, Baku's reaction will be swift and firm.