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The withdrawal of Armenia’s lawsuits against Azerbaijan from international courts is legally prohibited, former Human Rights Defender Arman Tatoyan said, referring to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s remarks.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Tatoyan claimed that Pashinyan’s statements were driven by narrow partisan interests, constituting an abuse of office and a misinterpretation of the government’s powers.

“He has no authority to withdraw lawsuits from international courts or exert political pressure for their withdrawal,” he wrote.

“Such a move would contradict Armenia’s national security interests, violate the rights of the Armenian people and effectively absolve Azerbaijan of its crimes. By abandoning these claims, Armenia would also deprive its own citizens of legal protection against mass human rights violations, creating obstacles for future legal action.

“Therefore, citing some isolated government authority cannot justify such a decision and this is not a case where such reasoning applies. Moreover, filing an interstate complaint in an international court does not grant the prime minister or the government absolute discretion to withdraw it. Once legal proceedings have begun, withdrawal falls under a different legal framework,” the ex-ombudsman stated.