On 22 September, the European Court of Human Rights applied Rule 39 under Rules of Court, considering that the current situation in Nagorno-Karabakh gives rise to a risk of serious violations of the Convention, the Office of Armenia’s Representative on International Legal Matters informs.

The Court decided, notwithstanding the ceasefire agreement reached on 20 September 2023, to indicate to the Government of Azerbaijan to refrain from taking any measures which might entail breaches of their obligations under the Convention, notably Article 2 (right to life) and Article 3 (prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment).

The Court also decided to give immediate notice of the above interim measure to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in accordance with Rule 39 § 2.

The decision comes two days after authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh agreed to a ceasefire on Azerbaijan terms, including the dissolution of the Defense Army.