A complaint was filed in Switzerland against SOCAR Trading for its role in financing Azerbaijan’s campaign against the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

It was said in the statement of the committee for the protection of fundamental rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“The committee for the protection of the fundamental rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh, established by the Parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh in December 2023, together with the “Switzerland-Armenia” association, in 2026. filed an official complaint against SOCAR Trading SA in Switzerland on March 18.

The complaint states that the company violated international standards of responsible business behavior by providing financial support to a state responsible for the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, NEWS.am writes.

“Material support” for ethnic cleansing

The complaint was formally submitted to the Swiss National Contact Point (SECO) in accordance with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD / OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises 2011 and 2023. guidelines. According to the “Specific Instance” procedure of the OECD Guidelines, the Swiss National Contact Point will now investigate the complaint and decide on further actions and remedies.

“SOCAR Trading” is the Swiss-based subsidiary of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), which is the commercial and financial link of Azerbaijan’s oil sector and a key source of revenue for the Azerbaijani state. In September 2023, Azerbaijan’s military offensive led to the complete displacement of the Armenian population of Nagorno Karabakh, effectively ending the centuries-old presence of Armenians in the region.

Based on the analysis of many respected experts, including the first chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, the organizations that filed the complaint allege that this campaign amounted to ethnic cleansing and possibly genocide.

The complaint alleges that SOCAR Trading, through its financial and commercial activities, has contributed to the replenishment of the economic resources of the Azerbaijani state and, therefore, according to OECD guidelines, had a clear obligation to conduct thorough human rights due diligence and respond to the risks arising from its activities.

“Forcible displacement of about 150,000 Armenians from their homeland in the South Caucasus is one of the most serious humanitarian crises of recent decades,” emphasized Garnik Kerkonyan, an international lawyer based in Chicago and a member of the Committee. “Companies that financially support the state responsible for these actions cannot ignore their obligations arising from international standards.”

Switzerland’s mandate for establishing peace in Nagorno-Karabakh

During the press conference held today in Geneva, the appellants also reminded that exactly one year ago, both chambers of the Swiss Federal Assembly adopted a petition instructing the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs to organize a peace forum between representatives of the people of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh. A year later, no such forum has yet been convened.

The committee and its partners have expressed their continued expectation that the Swiss authorities will implement this recommendation of the parliament, which they believe can play an important role in building a just and lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“Switzerland should be actively involved in the protection of indigenous peoples and ensuring their right to self-determination, as guaranteed by the United Nations Charter,” said Sargis Shahinyan, the honorary president of the “Switzerland-Armenia” association. “As a neutral state, Switzerland is in a favorable position to play a constructive role in bringing a just resolution to this decades-long conflict.”

“Lasting peace cannot be built on ethnic cleansing,” said Joel Veldkamp, ​​public interest director of Zurich-based Christian Solidarity International NGO, who also spoke at the press conference. “The new conflict with Iran has made clearer than ever the importance of building long-term peace and security in the vital South Caucasus region.”

Steps in the UN Human Rights Council:

At the same time, two members of the Committee for the Protection of Fundamental Rights of the People of Nagorno-Karabakh are participating in the annual session of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations in Geneva.

Addressing the plenary sessions through several accredited non-governmental organizations, they drew the Council’s attention to the facts of Azerbaijan’s continued illegal detention of Armenian hostages in Baku prisons, Azerbaijan’s refusal to comply with the November 17, 2023 decision of the International Court of Justice (requiring to ensure the safe return of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to their historical homeland), as well as the ongoing destruction of Armenian spiritual and cultural monuments in Nagorno-Karabakh.

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