Sevinj Fataliyeva, Azerbaijani MP, member of the Azerbaijani delegation to Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has responded to the baseless accusations made against Azerbaijan by Armenian MP Galstyan Lilit as she addressed the special debate in the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights, and Humanitarian Questions on the topic of “New Technologies and Social Media: Effects on Elections” held during the OSCE PA winter session.

Axar.az reports that the Armenian MP attempted to mislead participants by presenting individuals of Armenian origin, including Ruben Vardanyan—currently on trial in Baku for committing grave crimes against the Azerbaijani state and people—as “prisoners of war,” questioning the fairness of their trials.

In response to these accusations and unfounded concerns, MF Fataliyeva reminded her Armenian colleague that Azerbaijan has the sovereign right to investigate and prosecute individuals accused of crimes on its territory, including war crimes and terrorism, in accordance with national legislation and international conventions. “Ruben Vardanyan and 15 other former ‘officials’ from the Karabakh region are accused of terrorism, genocide, and war crimes. Azerbaijan conducts these judicial processes transparently and in compliance with legal standards,” the Azerbaijani MP added.