Hayk Mamijanyan, head of the I Have Honor faction in Armenia’s National Assembly, commented on Azerbaijan’s absence from the Euronest session, stating that Baku has declared over 70 members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) as persona non grata, which he considers a point of no return.
“Azerbaijan has declared more than 70 PACE members persona non grata. In my view, they’ve already crossed the point of no return. I strongly doubt there’s a country in the world that considers Azerbaijan democratic,” Mamijanyan said during a briefing with reporters at the parliament.
He also noted that he had appealed to the EU ambassador in Armenia to mediate with the EU ambassador in Azerbaijan to arrange a visit to Armenian prisoners held in Baku, according to Pastinfo.
“It’s very difficult. I don’t want to give anyone false hope, but we are trying, we are working,” he said.
Mamijanyan emphasized that certain international institutions, particularly in Europe, often turn a blind eye to Baku’s actions due to their interest in Azerbaijani energy resources.
“Given the geopolitical situation and realities around energy resources, unfortunately, some international organizations and European officials tolerate Azerbaijan’s shameful anti-democratic, inhumane actions that violate human rights. They avoid making appropriate assessments, which would be logical—so there’s little to interpret here,” he added.
In September 2023, after a nine-month blockade of Artsakh and the ethnic cleansing of its Armenian population, Azerbaijan captured several former leaders of the republic, including former Presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, and former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan. The politically motivated charges they face could lead to life imprisonment. A fabricated trial began in Baku on January 17.
