Alfa.lt: European institutions criticize Azerbaijan but overlook political persecution in Armenia

European institutions and Western media apply double standards in their coverage of political processes involving the opposition in Armenia and Azerbaijan, according to an article published by the Lithuanian outlet Alfa.lt, Olaylar informs.

In particular, the article addresses the coverage of developments related to the arrests and subsequent court proceedings involving opposition figures.

The article compares the international reaction to developments in Armenia with the attention European institutions and Western media devote to the situation in Azerbaijan. It notes that reports of political developments involving opposition figures in Azerbaijan regularly attract the attention of Western politicians, international organizations and media outlets. In particular, the European Parliament has repeatedly criticized Azerbaijan, including in 2026.

At the same time, criminal proceedings in Armenia involving opposition figures, politicians and the leadership of the Armenian Apostolic Church have not prompted a comparable level of international pressure.

The author therefore raises the question of why similar allegations of human rights violations receive different assessments depending on the country involved.

According to the author, the combination of active criticism of Azerbaijan by European institutions and a more restrained reaction to similar proceedings in Armenia provides grounds for speaking of double standards in the approach to human rights.

The author questions how consistently European institutions apply the standards they have declared. "If human rights are used as a political tool, the universality of these standards becomes questionable. Why do some alleged violations become an international issue, while others remain primarily an internal matter for the state?" the author emphasizes.

The article also points to the large number of political developments in Armenia in recent years involving opposition figures and critics of the authoritieschr("39") policies. Examples cited include the case against former Finance Minister and former head of the State Revenue Committee Gagik Khachatryan, the arrest of former Armenian President Robert Kocharyan and his son, the arrest of businessman and politician Gagik Tsarukyan, the legal proceedings involving Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II, and cases against members of the opposition Strong Armenia party.

"The question is whether the same standards apply to governments that are strategically beneficial to the West. If human rights become a political tool that is loudly defended when it serves geopolitical objectives and quietly ignored when it complicates a desired alliance, then the problem is not simply hypocrisy. It is the transformation of an allegedly universal standard into an instrument of foreign policy. And this has consequences extending far beyond Armenia," the article states.

The author believes that the South Caucasus is entering a potentially decisive period. "A peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan could fundamentally transform the region. But peace based on selective hostility will always carry a political price," the article emphasizes.