Swiss parliamentary committee rejects anti-Azerbaijan motion backed by pro-Armenian MPs

The Foreign Affairs Committee of Switzerland’s Council of States — the upper chamber of the Federal Assembly — has rejected a draft resolution penned by several pro-Armenian parliamentarians from the canton of Geneva.

The motion registered under No. 24 321 titled "Annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the release of political prisoners in Azerbaijan" was proposed on November 5, 2024, as was reported by local media outlets citing Azerbaijan’s Embassy to Switzerland.

The diplomatic mission’s efforts also led to the removal of another motion from the agenda which was calling for the “release of Armenian prisoners” and the “protection of Armenian cultural heritage.” That motion was introduced by the Committee's Vice President Carlo Sommaruga, known for his biased stance toward Azerbaijan.

The committee voted it down by 5 to 4 votes, with 3 abstaining from casting a vote.

In its statement, the Swiss parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee stressed that the proposed initiative was one-sided, containing demands solely directed at Azerbaijan, and expressed its protest against such an approach.

The original motion was filed by the overwhelming majority of Grand Council of Canton Geneva, as announced on the website of the Switzerland-Armenia Parliamentary Friendship Group, which engages in political lobbying, media engagement and communication management across the Armenian diaspora in the Alpine country.

It was signed by the following members of the Geneva Council: Julien Nicolet-dit-Félix, Masha Alimi, Sylvain Thévoz, Patricia Bidaux, Oriana Brücker, Marjorie de Chastonay, Cédric Jeanneret, Nicole Valiquer Grecuccio, Alia Chaker Mangeat, Sophie Bobillier, Sophie Demaurex, Angèle-Marie Habiyakare, Yves de Matteis, Francisco Taboada, Jean-Marc Guinchard, Jean-Charles Rielle, Léo Peterschmitt, Thomas Bruchez, Anne Carron and Louise Trottet.

By Nazrin Sadigova