German human rights organizations urge Merz to raise human rights  issues during his meeting with Pashinyan

ArmInfo.  A group of German human rights organizations sent a joint appeal to German  Chancellor Friedrich Merz asking him to raise the issue of violations  of the universal rights of Armenians in both Armenia and Azerbaijan  at his upcoming meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan,  who will be in Germany on December 9-10. 

The statement, signed by the Society for Threatened Peoples, the  Working Group Recognition - Against Genocide and for International  Understanding, the Central Council of Armenians in Germany, and  Christian Solidarity International Germany, reads as follows:

 "On the occasion of today's reception of Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan at the Federal Chancellery, we would like to express our  urgent request and expectation that, in your discussion with the  Armenian head of government, the pressing human rights and  humanitarian issues in the region should not remain merely a side  topic but instead receive equal consideration alongside bilateral  cooperation and economic policy. In doing so, we explicitly refer to  our joint appeal of 21 August 2025 issued by six human rights  organizations (Society for Threatened Peoples, International Society  for Human Rights, Christian Solidarity International (CSI), Stephanus  Foundation for Persecuted Christians, the Working Group Recognition -  Against Genocide, for International Understanding e.V., Central  Council of Armenians in Germany).

With this appeal, we approached the Foreign Minister at the time to  promote a just and sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.  Among the confidence-building measures that are essential for this is  the immediate release of the prisoners detained in  Azerbaijan-detentions that the European Parliament also considers  unlawful-as well as the release of the former political leadership of  the de facto Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Their immediate  release remains an indispensable prerequisite for any credible peace  process.

It must also be ensured without fail that the detention conditions  for the Armenian prisoners meet international standards and  agreements, particularly the international standards of the United  Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The family of the prisoner  Viken Euljekian, for example, accuses Azerbaijan of withholding  essential medical care while his condition in the Baku prison  continues to deteriorate. His family points out that Azerbaijani  authorities denied him adequate treatment for months, leaving him  unable to walk.

At the same time, there is justified concern that the Armenian  government is not advocating comprehensively or vigorously enough for  the Armenian detainees in Azerbaijan, nor for the legal, political,  and social concerns of the population unlawfully expelled from  Nagorno-Karabakh under international law. Prime Minister Pashinyan  apparently views these displaced persons as a disruptive factor in  both domestic and foreign policy.

Given Mr. Pashinyan's visit, it is especially important for us to  address the extremely worrying developments within Armenia itself, as  they are destabilizing the already tense situation of the small  country: the restriction of freedom of expression, the politically  motivated imprisonment of dissenters and critics of the government,  as well as the arrest of now four archbishops-thus one third of all  archbishops active in Armenia-raise serious questions about the rule  of law and the protection of religious and civil society freedoms.  Although the Armenian Constitution grants the Armenian Apostolic  Church a special status due to its historical significance,  Pashinyan's recent actions create the impression that he seeks to  divide the church or bring it under state control. International  organizations such as the Council of Europe have repeatedly  criticized the existence of political prisoners in Armenia, though  the definition of "political prisoner" is often contested, as the  government cites charges such as "terrorism" or "coup d'etat."

It is also alarming that Armenians living in Germany who publicly  criticize the erosion of the rule of law in Armenia increasingly fear  they may no longer be allowed to enter Armenia."