Armenian Foreign Ministry: Every Hectare Under Azerbaijani Control is Directly Endangered

The Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement regarding the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling in the case of Saribekyan and Balayan against Azerbaijan.

“On January 30, the ECHR issued a ruling in the case of Saribekyan and Balayan against Azerbaijan. It pertains to the circumstances surrounding the death of Armenian citizen Manvel Saribekyan in an Azerbaijani military police division. Manvel Saribekyan got lost due to bad weather conditions in the border area of Tavush province on September 11, 2010, and ended up on the Azerbaijani side. A month later, on November 4, 2010, his body was handed over to the Armenian side. According to the Azerbaijani version, the Armenian shepherd committed suicide while in the custody of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense's military police unit.

It is important to note that the Azerbaijani side initiated criminal proceedings against Manvel Saribekyan on blatantly fabricated charges and forced him to appear on Azerbaijani television under torture.

The European Court of Human Rights has recorded violations of fundamental rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter referred to as the Convention) for the Armenian citizen, specifically violations of Article 2 (right to life) in both material and procedural aspects, as well as violations of Article 3 (prohibition of torture), as it is unequivocal for the European Court of Human Rights that Saribekyan was subjected to extremely serious and brutal suffering, inflicted intentionally under the direct control of Azerbaijani authorities over a detained person.

This ruling is unprecedented; for the first time, the European Court of Human Rights has established Azerbaijan’s responsibility for depriving an Armenian citizen of life and noted that the Armenian citizen was tortured to death specifically as a result of the violent actions of the personnel of the Azerbaijani military police unit.

This ruling once again confirms that Azerbaijan openly violates its international obligations to protect human rights. It also indicates that every Armenian under the control of Azerbaijani authorities is directly endangered, regardless of their status. The Republic of Armenia will continue its efforts to ensure the safety of its citizens and the Armenian people and to restore justice,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.