Open Letter to Chancellor Merz

Dear Chancellor Merz,
On the occasion of today's reception of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the Federal
Chancellery, we would like to express our urgent request and expectation that, during your
talks with the Armenian head of government, the pressing human rights and humanitarian
issues in the region will not remain a marginal topic, but will be given equal priority alongside
bilateral cooperation and economic policy. We expressly refer to our joint appeal of 21
August 2025 from six human rights organizations (Society for Threatened Peoples,
International Society for Human Rights, Christian Solidarity International (CSI), Stephanus
Foundation for Persecuted Christians, the Working Group Recognition – Against Genocide,
for International Understanding e.V., Central Council of Armenians in Germany):
https://www.aga-online.org/wp-content/uploads/Appell-an-Bundesaussenminister-Dr.-
Wadephul_21082025.pdf
We addressed this appeal to the Federal Foreign Minister at the time in order to promote a just
and lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Among the confidence-building measures
that are essential for this is the immediate release of prisoners detained in Azerbaijan, which
the European Parliament also considers unlawful, as well as members of the former political
leadership of the de facto Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Their immediate release
remains an imperative prerequisite. It is also essential to ensure that the conditions of
detention for Armenian prisoners comply with international standards and conventions, in
particular the international standards of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The family of prisoner Viken Euljekian, for example, accuses Azerbaijan of withholding vital
medical care while his condition deteriorates in Baku prison. His family points out that the
Azerbaijani authorities have denied him adequate treatment for months, leaving him unable to
walk.
At the same time, there is legitimate concern that the Armenian government is not doing
enough to comprehensively and vigorously defend Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan, nor is it
addressing the legal, political, and social concerns of the population expelled from Nagorno-
Karabakh in violation of international law. Prime Minister Pashinyan apparently sees these
displaced persons as a disruptive factor in domestic and foreign policy.
In view of Mr. Pashinyan's visit, it is particularly important for us to address the extremely
worrying developments in Armenia itself, as they are destabilizing the already tense situation
in this tiny country: the restriction of freedom of expression, the politically motivated
imprisonment of dissidents and government critics, and the arrest of four archbishops – a third
of all archbishops working in Armenia.
Although the Armenian constitution grants the Armenian Apostolic Church a special status
due to its historical significance, Pashinyan's current actions give the impression that he wants
to split the church or bring it under state control. International organizations such as the
Council of Europe have repeatedly criticized the existence of political prisoners in Armenia,

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although the definition of “political prisoner” is often controversial, as the government cites
reasons for detention such as ‘terrorism’ or “coup d'état.”

It is additionally concerning that Armenians living in Germany who publicly criticize the rule
of law in Armenia are increasingly afraid that they will no longer be allowed to enter
Armenia.

Thank you in advance and best regards
Sarah Reinke, Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker (GfbV)
Dr. Tessa Hofmann, Arbeitsgruppe Anerkennung – Gegen Genozid, für Völkerverständigung
(AGA)
Jonathan Spangenberg, Zentralrat der Armenier in Deutschland (ZAD)
Pfarrer Peter Fuchs, Christian Solidarity International (CSI Deutschland)