On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan expelled the Christian population from the Nagorno-Karabakh region in a blitzkrieg. More than 100,000 ethnic Armenians were affected. A year later, survivors filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court for “crimes against humanity,” encouraged by respected experts who had described the violent crackdown as genocide. On August 8, 2025, a historic meeting took place in Washington between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, at the invitation of US President Donald Trump. They agreed on a joint infrastructure project, the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP). This is a transit corridor between Azerbaijan and the exclave of Nakhchivan through Armenian territory.

At the end of August, six non-governmental initiatives in Germany, including the German section of the ISHR, addressed German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul in light of the ongoing injustices against the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians. They demand that the unhindered return of the displaced persons be guaranteed immediately. Furthermore, they appeal to Wadephul to work for the release of political prisoners and to shed light on individual fates:

“Over 23 Armenian civilians, prisoners of war, and former officials from Nagorno-Karabakh are still being held in Azerbaijan, and around 80 others are considered forcibly disappeared.”

Finally, they call for an “independent review under international law” to be commissioned to evaluate Azerbaijan’s detention practices and the forcible expulsion of the Armenians in light of the Genocide Convention. If necessary, further steps toward initiating international proceedings should also be considered.

The authors of the letter consider the Washington meeting “an important step toward a non-violent solution to the conflict.” Against this backdrop, they support an open dialogue between Azerbaijan and representatives of the displaced persons under international supervision. The Swiss Federal Council offered to organize an international peace forum. A declaration of principles on this topic was published in Bern on May 26, 2025. The signatories urgently recommend that the German government officially support the Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno-Karabakh in order to achieve understanding and a lasting and just peace.