Azerbaijan Sends Letters with False Claims to European Parliament Members

On May 20, the European Parliament will discuss the issue of Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan. In response, Azerbaijan is engaging in lobbying activities, reports Panarama.am.

Jean-Christophe Buisson, the deputy editor of the French magazine Le Figaro, tweeted that Azerbaijan is sending concerning letters to European Parliament members and presented excerpts from these letters. He noted, "'Counteroffensive' and 'respect for humanitarian law' during the Artsakh war are LIES; the preservation of religious monuments is a LIE," highlighting Azerbaijan's claims in the letters that it conducted a 'counteroffensive' in response to Armenia's aggression and strictly adhered to international humanitarian law.

The letters state that the Azerbaijani government has declared its commitment to the protection of cultural and religious monuments, demonstrating goodwill by allowing Armenians to visit Dadivank and initiating the renovation of the 'former Albanian Ghazanchetsots church.'

It is important to note that just the day before, USCIRF (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom) expressed concern over the condition of the Holy Savior Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi, stating that "USCIRF is troubled by reports concerning the preservation of the integrity of places of worship and other religious sites, such as the Armenian Apostolic Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shushi, the domes of which appear to have been removed amid news of 'restoration' without input from the church's followers."

Recently, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reiterated the necessity of unrestricted humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh, stating that this is not possible due to Azerbaijan.

It is worth recalling that the agenda of the European Parliament's upcoming session from May 17 to 20 includes a draft resolution on the 'prisoners of war as a result of the recent conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.' The discussion on prisoners of war will take place on May 20, followed by a vote.