U.S. State Department Report Condemns Azerbaijan’s Ongoing Abuses Against Ethnic Armenians

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. State Department’s 2024 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices has issued a stark condemnation of Azerbaijan’s treatment of ethnic Armenians, outlining a pattern of abuses that, according to the report, remain unaddressed by Azerbaijani authorities.

The report cites credible accounts of arbitrary detention, physical abuse, and denial of basic legal rights for Armenians in Azerbaijani custody. As of the end of 2024, at least 23 Armenian prisoners — including both military personnel and civilians — remained detained following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and Azerbaijan’s September 2023 military offensive. International organizations and human rights advocates have documented instances of beatings, psychological pressure, and other forms of ill-treatment, in clear violation of international humanitarian law.

The State Department also highlights the unresolved cases of dozens of Armenians still missing from both past and recent hostilities. Families have continued to demand information about their loved ones, with Azerbaijani authorities offering little to no cooperation.

Beyond individual abuses, the report details systematic violations of Armenians’ cultural and religious rights. It records the destruction, desecration, and alteration of Armenian churches, cemeteries, and monuments in territories under Azerbaijani control. Coupled with persistent hate speech and anti-Armenian propaganda in official statements and state-controlled media, these actions are described as exacerbating ethnic hostility.

The findings emphasize that the Azerbaijani government has failed to take meaningful steps to investigate allegations of torture, mistreatment, or unlawful killings of Armenians, and has not held those responsible to account.