Lawyer: Strasbourg court ruling against Azerbaijan a diplomatic leverage

Armenian lawyer Haykuhi Harutyunyan says a landmark European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judgment against Azerbaijan provides a rare chance to strengthen Armenia’s political agenda by spotlighting wartime accountability.

The case, V.T. and Others v. Azerbaijan, addressed the 2016 killing and decapitation of Armenian officer Hayk Toroyan during the April war in Nagorno-Karabakh. Representing Toroyan’s family, Harutyunyan told reporters the ruling restores a measure of justice long denied.

“This judgment comes far too late — not only because of the ECHR’s timeline, but also due to the state’s negligent and at times bankrupt policies, which failed to document these crimes earlier,” she said.

Harutyunyan emphasized the broader political significance of the ruling, noting that it explicitly assigns responsibility for aggression to Azerbaijan and recognizes state-backed brutality. “This is an extraordinary decision in which the highest judicial authority confirms both the fact of aggression and the official sponsorship of such conduct against a specific individual,” she explained.

She argued the verdict should be used as leverage in diplomatic negotiations, ensuring Azerbaijan’s actions are acknowledged in international discourse. “It is a unique opportunity in every respect,” Harutyunyan said, adding that the ruling provides Armenia with a solid foundation to demand accountability in political dialogue.