Christian Solidarity International: Propaganda tool operating under disguise of charity

Christian Solidarity International (CSI), an organisation that describes itself as a Christian human rights group advocating for religious freedom and human dignity, is facing renewed scrutiny over allegations that its activities are driven by political and ideological interests that conflict with its stated humanitarian mission.

According to an investigation published by Azerbaijani fact-checking outlet Faktyoxla.Az, there are grounds to believe CSI forms part of a broader network serving specific political and ideological objectives. The report argues that the organisation's financial practices, humanitarian campaigns and outspoken criticism of Azerbaijan have attracted increasing attention from researchers and independent journalists in recent years.

The investigation alleges that CSI uses sophisticated fundraising techniques to appeal to Christian communities (particularly in the United States and Europe.) One of its principal strategies, the report claims, is promoting narratives centred on the "genocide against Christians" and presenting geopolitical conflicts primarily as religious confrontations. According to the report, CSI has portrayed the Karabakh conflict not through the lens of international law or territorial integrity, but as "the destruction of a Christian minority by a Muslim state." It further alleges that the organisation has used terms such as "Christian genocide" and "the threat of jihadists" while publishing images of elderly people, crying children and damaged churches across social media, email campaigns and Christian publications to encourage donations.

 The ideological line pursued by CSI, its opaque financial campaigns, and its systematic policy of manipulation directed against Azerbaijan are not the initiative of individual actors, but are carried out directly under the organization’s top leadership. Behind the large-scale campaigns conducted under the guise of humanitarian aid stands the organization’s current president.

The international president of Christian Solidarity International is John Eibner, an American human rights advocate, researcher, and leader of humanitarian missions known for his work in the field of protecting the rights of Christians and promoting freedom of religion. John Eibner has been working with the organization for more than 30 years. For an extended period, he served as executive director of CSI’s American branch. On July 27, 2020, the CSI International Council elected John Eibner as the organization’s new international president, succeeding Herbert Meier.

Support for Bashar al-Assad's government in Syria

The investigation identifies CSI's position during the Syrian civil war as one of the organisation's most controversial areas of activity. It states that John Eibner and the organisation itself actively lobbied Western governments, including the US Congress and the Biden administration, to lift economic sanctions imposed on the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. According to critics cited in the report, CSI justified the campaign on humanitarian grounds but in practice helped deflect attention from alleged crimes committed by the Syrian government.

The investigation also claims that Eibner's reports characterised a broad range of Syrian opposition groups simply as "armed jihadists" and "Muslim supremacist radicals," an approach that critics argue reflected political bias rather than impartial human rights advocacy.

The investigative report further argues that, although CSI's charter states that it defends people regardless of religion, much of its humanitarian work in countries such as Syria, Iraq and Nigeria has focused exclusively on Christian communities. Critics cited in the investigation say this conflicts with the humanitarian principle of non-discrimination. It also alleges that Eibner's public statements frequently portray the Islamic world as a fundamental threat to Christianity. Human rights specialists and liberal media outlets cited in the report argue that such rhetoric contributes to anti-Muslim sentiment while helping CSI raise donations from conservative Christian supporters.

A legacy passed from mentor to successor

According to the investigation, Baroness Caroline Cox played a significant role in shaping John Eibner's approach to Azerbaijan and eventually handed over much of the organisation's work relating to the country. The report argues that Eibner's support for Armenia stems not from objective human rights advocacy but from a combination of religious conservatism, decades-long ties to lobbying organisations, fundraising considerations and close relationships with representatives of the Armenian Church.

It states that Eibner has consistently taken a pro-Armenian position and has repeatedly criticised the Azerbaijani government. Following the dissolution of the separatist administration in Nagorno-Karabakh, the report says he portrayed the events as a threat to Christian civilisation and has continued to campaign for the release of Armenians convicted in Azerbaijan on war crimes charges.

The investigation points to a joint statement issued by Eibner and Baroness Cox on 2 November 2020 as an example of what it describes as CSI's one-sided approach to the Karabakh conflict. According to the report, the statement ignored principles of international law and instead presented the conflict as "the destruction of a Christian minority by a Muslim state." It argues that references to "the threat of jihadists," "Christian genocide" and the "restoration of the Ottoman Caliphate" were intended to appeal to the emotions of Christian audiences in the West.

The report further contends that Azerbaijan's military operations to restore control over territories internationally recognised as its own were described in the statement as "systematic executions of civilians" and "full-scale genocide." It also notes that the statement called on NATO members, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and Israel to impose an arms embargo on Azerbaijan and recognise the separatist authorities' claim to self-determination.

In a commentary published on February 12, 2026, John Eibner criticised Armenia's domestic reforms and its efforts to normalise relations with Azerbaijan and Türkiye, describing the peace process as an "Islamist capitulation agreement." According to the report, Eibner portrayed Armenia's reconciliation efforts as a threat to the country's Christian identity, arguing that they would pave the way for the destruction of Armenian statehood. He also compared the Armenian government's reforms affecting the church to the anti-religious campaigns carried out by the Bolsheviks in the 1920s and claimed that the policies of the Armenian leadership were being directed by what he described as an "Islamist neo-Ottoman Türkiye."

The report further argues that Eibner has consistently rejected Azerbaijan's foreign policy and its actions based on international law, instead portraying the country as an "anti-Christian dictatorship." It also alleges that, through cooperation with Armenian lobbying organisations, including the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), Eibner has campaigned against US lawmakers who support dialogue with Azerbaijan or present what the report describes as a more balanced assessment of developments in the South Caucasus. Eibner's claim that "150,000 Armenians were subjected to ethnic and religious cleansing" is unsupported by available demographic data and is intended to generate an emotional response among religious audiences.

The report also criticises a joint press conference and statement issued by Eibner and Baroness Caroline Cox in Yerevan on September 15, 2023. It argues that the pair referred to Azerbaijan's internationally recognised territory as the "Republic of Artsakh," met with representatives of the former separatist administration and incorporated their statements into subsequent reports, which the authors say ignored the legal dimensions of the conflict while demonstrating support for separatist structures. The report further alleges that Eibner and Cox described Azerbaijan's Lachin border checkpoint as a "blockade with signs of genocide" and accused Baku of using "starvation as a weapon," claims it says were intended to generate international pressure against Azerbaijan.

The statement also criticised peace negotiations mediated by the United States and the European Union, arguing that any agreement recognising Azerbaijan's sovereignty over Karabakh would "inevitably lead to new massacres." The investigation concludes that Eibner and Cox have spent more than three decades acting as advocates for the Armenian narrative, using humanitarian rhetoric and repeated genocide warnings to influence international opinion, undermine the peace process and attract donations from Christian communities in the West.

"Christians who left Karabakh" becomes a new campaign

The report argues that John Eibner's close ties to Armenian lobbying groups and government officials demonstrate that Christian Solidarity International has moved away from its humanitarian mission and become a political vehicle for Armenian advocacy.

As a non-governmental organisation funded through donations and grants, CSI depends on fundraising campaigns directed primarily at conservative Christian audiences in the West, the report says. It argues that portraying Armenia as an ancient Christian nation under existential threat has become one of the organisation's most effective fundraising narratives, following similar campaigns focused on Sudan and Syria.

According to the report, CSI's activities between 2020 and mid-2026 represent the organisation's most intensive campaign concerning Azerbaijan.

War years and the "ethnic cleansing" narrative (2020–2022)

The report states that CSI launched a global campaign critical of Azerbaijan during the 2020 Second Karabakh War.

It says Eibner repeatedly described Azerbaijan's restoration of control over territories it considers its own as a threat to Christianity in the region.

Following protests on the Lachin road in December 2022, CSI joined Baroness Caroline Cox's Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) and several other pro-Armenian organisations in issuing what they described as a genocide warning for Karabakh Armenians and called on the international community to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan.

"Stop the new Armenian genocide" campaign

After Azerbaijan's September 2023 military operation in Karabakh and the collapse of the separatist administration, Eibner sharply criticised the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia and the European Union for failing to prevent Baku's actions and protect what he described as the "cradle of Christian civilisation."

CSI representatives later addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council, accusing Azerbaijan of committing war crimes.

According to the report, after Azerbaijan's delegation criticised CSI at the UN and accused the organisation of political bias, Eibner responded by saying: "Until the Karabakh Armenians return, my organisation and I will never set foot in Azerbaijan."

The report also notes that Eibner participated in briefings at the US Congress alongside ANCA in July 2025 and took part in similar activities in the British Parliament.

According to the investigation, CSI has also campaigned for the release of former leaders of the separatist administration detained in Azerbaijan (f.e including Ruben Vardanyan and others), describing them as "hostages."

The report argues that Eibner's most recent regional focus has shifted toward Armenia's domestic politics.

After Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reportedly described the issue of returning Armenians to Karabakh as potentially harmful to the peace process with Azerbaijan, CSI began openly criticising his government.

The organisation subsequently published a report accusing the Armenian government of attempting to divide the Armenian Apostolic Church and weaken its leadership.

According to the report, Eibner argued that pressure on the church was "intended to weaken the Armenian people's will to resist a new regional order led by Türkiye and Azerbaijan." He also called on the administration of US President Donald Trump to protect the Armenian Church from Armenia's own government.

"Christian genocide" narrative

According to the report, one of the recurring themes in CSI publications is the claim that Christians are facing "genocide" in the region.

The investigation argues that the organisation routinely describes Azerbaijan and its allies as "radical Islamist" or "jihadist" forces and portrays Azerbaijan's objective as extending beyond restoring territorial control to eliminating Christianity from the region altogether.

Self-determination versus international law

The report concludes by arguing that CSI's publications reject both the principle of territorial integrity and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

According to the investigation, the organisation continues to refer to the former separatist administration as the "Republic of Artsakh" and defends what it describes as the right of self-determination.

The authors argue that CSI's position effectively maintains that the Armenian population's Christian identity and long-term presence in the region provide sufficient grounds for establishing an independent state outside the framework of international law.

Distortion of history

In CSI reports submitted to European institutions, the historical connection between ancient Christian monuments in Karabakh (such as the Khudavang and Gandzasar monasteries) and the heritage of Caucasian Albania is rejected. The organization claims that these monuments represent exclusively “Armenian cultural heritage” and alleges that Azerbaijan, by falsifying history, is committing “culturicide.” At the same time, Azerbaijan’s placement of these monuments under state protection and its restoration efforts are interpreted as an “attempt to erase history.”

“Authoritarianism vs. democracy” narrative

In CSI reports, Armenia is portrayed as a “young and oppressed Christian democracy,” while Azerbaijan is presented as an “anti-Christian dictatorship.” CSI argues that Western states should support Armenia in order to defend their democratic values and impose economic and political sanctions on Azerbaijan.

These biased claims demonstrate that CSI reports are not independent monitoring documents, but rather represent propaganda materials aimed at legitimizing the political agendas of the Armenian lobby.