Azerbaijan violated the right to life of an Armenian soldier and the prohibition of torture: ECHR publishes first judgment in April War cases

Today, the European Court of Human Rights published its first judgment concerning cases related to the four-day April War of 2016.

Former Head of the Office of the Representative for International Legal Affairs Liparit Drmeyan noted that the ECHR found that Azerbaijan had violated an Armenian soldier’s right to life and the prohibition of torture, including through the decapitation and mutilation of the body.

“The Court ordered Azerbaijan to pay €90,000 in compensation to the victim’s relatives.
This is an important precedent for complaints submitted to protect the rights of victims of the 2020 44-day war.

This episode was one of the most serious incidents of the April War, when Azerbaijani forces ambushed Armenian servicemen and subsequently beheaded and desecrated their bodies. The details of the incident are described in the ECHR judgment.

Special thanks to the applicants’ legal team.

Armenia participated in these proceedings as a third party in accordance with the Court’s procedures. Although Azerbaijan consistently denied responsibility, it was possible, through extensive work, to present irrefutable evidence, including materials from Azerbaijani television channels in which Azerbaijani special forces presented that ‘heroic episode,’” Drmeyan stated.