Azerbaijan Summons EU Envoy Amid Dispute Over Karabakh Armenian Prisoners
Background and Developments in the Azerbaijan-Armenia Dispute
EU Resolution and Azerbaijan's Response
BAKU, May 1 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan on Friday summoned the European Union's ambassador to protest against an EU resolution condemning Baku's detention of Armenian prisoners of war and backing the rights of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh.
The resolution denounced what it called Azerbaijan's "unjust detention" of Armenian prisoners of war, detainees and hostages and demanded their immediate release. It also reiterated EU support for the rights of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and called for accountability for the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious heritage.
Azerbaijan's Official Statement
Azerbaijan's foreign ministry on Friday dismissed the resolution as "unfounded and biased," saying Karabakh Armenians had left the region voluntarily. It added that those described by the EU as prisoners of war had committed serious crimes, including war crimes.
Historical Context of the Karabakh Conflict
Ethnic Armenians in Karabakh, an internationally recognised part of Azerbaijan, broke away from Baku's control as the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991.
Azerbaijan and Armenia fought two wars over the mountainous territory before Baku took it back in 2023 and its entire Armenian population of around 100,000 people fled to Armenia.
Trials and Human Rights Concerns
Karabakh officials captured at that time were placed on trial in Baku in January 2025, accused of a battery of charges including war crimes. International human rights groups have raised concerns about the fairness of the trial.
Notable Sentencing
In February, Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian-born billionaire banker who served as a senior official in Nagorno-Karabakh, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Nailia BagirovaWriting by Maxim RodionovEditing by Mark Trevelyan)
