ECHR ruling shatters Azerbaijan's narrative, Armenian lawyer says

A landmark European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling in the case V.T. and Others v. Azerbaijan has been hailed by Armenian attorney Ara Ghazaryan as an “irrefutable historical fact” that dismantles Azerbaijan’s claims of self-defense during the 2016 April war in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Ghazaryan, who represented the applicants, underscored the significance of the ruling in documenting atrocities committed by Azerbaijani forces in the village of Talish. “Any judicial act becomes indisputable. This shows the true face of war,” he said, recalling how investigative journalists captured images of slain civilians Valera Khalapyan and his wife Razmela, whose ears were severed before they were executed. Khalapyan’s 92-year-old mother was also shot dead.

“This was not a patriotic war, it was a war of aggression,” Ghazaryan stressed. “In a defensive war, soldiers are not beheaded, their hands are not cut off. Despite Azerbaijan’s constant objections, the European Court stood firm, recording that the crimes were committed by Azerbaijani soldiers.”

He claimed the ruling undermines Azerbaijan’s narrative of a “patriotic war” and exposes attempts to legitimize acts of terror and aggression. “Azerbaijan sought to portray itself as the victim, but the judgment strips away this myth. Its greatest value lies in erasing the legitimacy of such claims,” Ghazaryan said.