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Azerbaijani MP: Western silence on Armenia reflects double standards

27 June 2025 16:29 (UTC +04:00)

Western inaction toward recent events in Armenia is another manifestation of its double standards, MP Azer Badamov told APA.

Pre-election situation in Armenia worsens

He noted that the pre-election situation in Armenia is becoming increasingly complex and tense: “As internal rivals fight for power, external actors show even greater interest. Any figure coming to power in Armenia will be significant for South Caucasus interference. Following Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s declaration of a coup and the naming of actors and institutions in a related article, arrests began. On the night of June 18, Russian businessman and head of the ‘Tashir’ Group, Samvel Karapetyan, who expressed support for the Armenian Apostolic Church in Yerevan, was detained by law enforcement. Threats from Pashinyan were also witnessed. Although Karapetyan denies it, he is accused of openly calling for a takeover of power. He was detained for two months by a court decision. In his recent article, Karapetyan argues that the current government has turned small Armenia into a center of geopolitical struggle and claims that the state and society’s enemy image remains unchanged. He alleges Armenia is surrounded by hostile states.”

Western silence regarding human rights

Badamov added that Armenia, as a victim of a corrupt ideology, is used to creating enemy images and scapegoats: “Karapetyan accuses the government of prematurely moving away from Russia without a mature political decision and seeing provincialization of the country as a possible scenario. These are clearly internal affairs. We have witnessed mutual accusations, arrests, and restrictions on freedom of speech in Armenia. Unfortunately, what we have not seen is adequate Western response. Western institutions usually react adequately to similar events in other countries but remain silent about Armenia. The arrests of Karapetyan and others and the Echmiadzin incidents are clear and gross human rights violations, yet the West remains silent. Had such events occurred in Azerbaijan or any small country, Western institutions, human rights organizations, the Council of Europe, OSCE, and others would have issued numerous statements and demands. The West’s indifference to the disgraceful situation in Armenia is another example of double standards. The correct response is to confront this selective policy and rhetoric adequately.”

Azerbaijan’s firm stance

Azərbaycanın belə adekvat münasibətinin davamlı ortaya qoyulması tam əsaslı yanaşmadır. Qərb unutmamalıdır ki, vicdanlı və etibarlı tərəfdaş statusu Azərbaycandadır. Azərbaycan da bu statusu heç kimin güzəştinin nəticəsində deyil, yürütdüyü siyasətlə, göstərdiyi yanaşma ilə qazanıb”.