The International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) has urged the international community to demand the immediate release of all Armenian political prisoners and hostages illegally detained in Azerbaijan.

“Since January 17, sham trials have been ongoing in Baku, Azerbaijan, targeting 16 Armenian hostages, including senior political and military leaders of the Republic of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh.

The charges against them—ranging from terrorism to forming illegal armed groups—are baseless and politically motivated. These trials are a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and part of a calculated effort to erase the historical and political identity of the Armenian people of Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh.

For nearly 17 months, these individuals have been unlawfully imprisoned following Azerbaijan’s brutal military offensive in September 2023, which forcibly displaced over 120,000 ethnic Armenians from Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh. Their continued detention, along with Azerbaijan’s threats against Armenia’s sovereignty, constitutes a grave violation of human rights and international law,” reads the statement, as reported by the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF).

IUSY calls on the international community, including the United Nations, the European Union, and all relevant stakeholders, to take immediate action, specifically to:

• Demand the immediate release of all Armenian political prisoners and hostages illegally held in Azerbaijan.
• Hold Azerbaijan accountable for war crimes and ongoing human rights violations through international legal mechanisms.
• Impose sanctions on Azerbaijan’s authoritarian political and military leadership.
• Ensure the collective right of the indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh to return to their homeland under international guarantees and in accordance with the fundamental right to self-determination.
• Demand the withdrawal of Azerbaijani armed forces from the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, respecting its internationally recognized borders.

IUSY reaffirms its commitment to defending the inalienable rights of Artsakh’s indigenous Armenian population, their right to self-determination, and the international recognition process of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh.

“As an international organization dedicated to defending the freedom, sovereignty, and dignity of all peoples, we will continue our mission to protect oppressed nations and their fundamental rights.”

IUSY is one of the largest international organizations of socialist, social-democratic, and labor youth unions. Founded in 1907, it currently represents 163 member organizations in 110 countries, promoting youth engagement, activism, educational programs, and global advocacy. The ARF Youth Organization is a full member of IUSY.