- August 13, 2025
Washington, D.C. — Global ARM President Timothy Jemal issued the following statement in response to the U.S. State Department’s release of the 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights in Azerbaijan:
“The State Department’s 2024 Country Report for Azerbaijan confirms what we already know: Baku and Aliyev continue to commit serious human rights abuses against ethnic Armenians while refusing to investigate past atrocities or comply with international rulings. The report cites evidence of arbitrary killings, unlawful detentions, torture, transnational repression, and a ‘methodically implemented strategy to empty Nagorno-Karabakh of its ethnic Armenian population,’ echoing findings from the United Nations and Freedom House. It also documents that 23 ethnic Armenians, including eight former Nagorno-Karabakh officials, remain in Azerbaijani custody where they face cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment and lack due process.
These findings come in the wake of last Friday’s U.S.-brokered Declaration to seek peace signed at the White House by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in the presence of President Donald J. Trump. The Joint Declaration committed both sides to opening discussions to end hostilities, normalize diplomatic relations, and respect territorial integrity. Deterring aggression and further human rights atrocities must remain central to ensure these commitments are implemented in good faith.
Global ARM underscores that the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners, full de-occupation of Armenian territory, and right of return for ethnic Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh are not optional, but essential foundations for a just and durable peace. Global ARM, in close collaboration with the exceptional work of the Center for Truth & Justice (CFTJ), has been relentless in pursuing accountability for Azerbaijani leaders and military units who have committed atrocities against ethnic Armenians. Global ARM ensured that Armenian prisoners and victims of Azerbaijani aggression had a voice by securing CFTJ as witness at a fall 2024 Tom Lantos Commission hearing. CFTJ has worked with and collected over 530 testimonies from victims of atrocities and repatriated PoWs who have shared their harrowing experiences as victims of Azerbaijan’s aggression.
In its September 19, 2024, testimony before Lantos Human Rights Commission, CFTJ provided detailed, documentary evidence of Azerbaijan’s atrocities against ethnic Armenians in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. The CFTJ testimony reports that many of the most egregious crimes are flaunted by Azerbaijani soldiers themselves, who film and disseminate videos of summary executions on platforms like TikTok and Telegram. Furthermore, members of the Azerbaijani military created stickers, memes, and emojis mocking Armenians they have killed, which were then circulated to the victims’ families via social media.
Global ARM remains unyielding in its commitment to advocating for human rights and justice for all Armenians who have suffered at the hands of the Government of Azerbaijan. This year’s Human Rights Report is a stark reminder that action, not just documentation, is urgently needed.
The Trump Administration and the U.S. Congress must keep Aliyev at the negotiating table by making clear that Azerbaijan will be held accountable for any future violent actions and aggression against Armenia and Armenians and that justice will never be surrendered. Without credible deterrence, any negotiated settlement will be nothing more than an invitation for renewed aggression and an opportunity for Azerbaijan to perpetrate further humanity rights abuses with impunity. Global ARM will continue to support efforts that advance a dignified and lasting peace.”