Armenia says court cases with Azerbaijan may be withdrawn after peace deal

Armenia and Azerbaijan could withdraw their lawsuits against each other in international courts once they conclude a peace agreement, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's chief of staff said on 3 November.

"Naturally, the withdrawal of lawsuits may be part of the peace process," Lilit Makunts told reporters.

Article XV of the initialed agreement requires both sides to withdraw, dismiss or otherwise settle all interstate claims and proceedings related to issues that existed before it was signed, within one month of the agreement entering into force. According to CIVILNET, the provision was included at Azerbaijan's insistence.

What the text commits them to

Initialing in Washington confirmed the wording but does not make the agreement legally binding. Both countries must still sign and ratify it. Pashinyan said on 3 November that the foreign ministers initialed the text and that "now we need to sign the agreement and ratify it".

Siranush Sahakyan, an international law expert who represents Armenian prisoners' interests at the European Court of Justice, said the provision "has already become a treaty obligation" because it is explicitly included in the initialed text. That is her reading of a text both sides have accepted but that is not yet in force. She said the parties also undertake not to join other proceedings as third parties and not to file new claims over disputes predating the agreement.

Sahakyan warned that withdrawing the cases would end the pursuit of justice. "Azerbaijan is essentially seeking to legitimize the international crimes committed against ethnic Armenians by ensuring their impunity," she said. She added that the absence of accountability could encourage further violations, since one purpose of international accountability is to prevent future crimes.

The cases at stake

Armenia and Azerbaijan filed reciprocal applications for interim measures at the European Court of Human Rights during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. The filings came on 27 September and 27 October. Armenia later sought measures on the Lachin Corridor.

In September 2021 both countries filed reciprocal cases at the International Court of Justice, each accusing the other of violating the racial discrimination convention.

Armenia's application alleged systemic discrimination and mass killings. Azerbaijan's counter-application, filed a week later, alleged ethnic cleansing and hate speech. Both cases remain pending.

Sahakyan said the clause goes further than the open files: it also bars new claims over older disputes and stops either side joining other proceedings as a third party. She said the status of Armenia's separate case against Turkey, which concerns the 2020 war, is unclear.

Why a withdrawal may not end a case

"States may declare their intention to withdraw from interstate proceedings, but cases that have already been initiated can be discontinued only by a decision of the court," Sahakyan said. She added that there are too few precedents to predict how international courts would rule.

The European Court of Human Rights has kept cases open after individual applicants withdrew, when it judged that the interests of justice and human rights protection required further examination. Sahakyan said the same logic could apply to Armenian citizens whose rights have not been restored, and that the court could decide not to discontinue.

What happens next

Pashinyan said on 3 November that peace with Azerbaijan "turned into a reality on the ground" after the Washington agreements of 8 August 2025, but that it still needs to be formalised legally.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told the Organization of Turkic States summit in Ankara that Baku expects Armenia to take the political and legal steps needed to sign.