Time for a “Grand Deal” Between the U.S. and Azerbaijan for the Release of Armenian Prisoners? (LIBERTAS)
- May 10
- 2 min read
The Atlantic Council published an op-ed on May 10, 2026*, calling on the U.S. to reach a comprehensive political agreement with Azerbaijan.
According to this proposal, Washington should permanently lift the restrictions set forth in Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, while Azerbaijan would proceed with the release of several detainees, including Azerbaijani political prisoners and certain Armenian detainees. The authors present this initiative as an opportunity to strengthen strategic relations between the United States and Azerbaijan while contributing to the peace process in the South Caucasus.
LIBERTAS takes note of this plan and reaffirms that the protection of human rights must not be subordinated to geopolitical considerations or strategic negotiations between states.
While any initiative likely to lead to the release of arbitrarily detained persons should be welcomed, it is important to recall that the freedom, dignity, and fundamental rights of individuals are not a diplomatic bargaining chip.
In this case, according to this plan, not only would Azerbaijan not be sanctioned for the ethnic cleansing of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh that it carried out in 2023, but it would also become a respected partner of the U.S. through the lifting of a sanction imposed in 1992 specifically because of its treatment of Armenians; furthermore, Baku’s cynicism would be reinforced by securing a political advantage in exchange for the Armenian state hostages—exactly what it had hoped to achieve by taking them in the first place.
The release of political prisoners and of Armenians detained in Baku must result from compliance with international human rights obligations and not from a political transaction.
LIBERTAS, which can only welcome the release of the Armenian state hostages, expresses its concern regarding any approach that risks turning people deprived of their liberty into bargaining chips, and reiterates that a lasting and just peace in the South Caucasus can only be achieved through respect for international law, the effective protection of human rights, and the fight against impunity.
LIBERTAS further points out that, in the face of a dictatorship that violates international law—and given that history has amply shown that appeasement is a dead end—it would instead recommend a firm stance by the U.S. and other democracies:
· by strengthening sanctions against Azerbaijan rather than lifting the last remaining ones.
· by investing more in Azerbaijan’s civil society to advance democracy, human rights, and the rule of law there. LIBERTAS therefore calls on international actors to place justice, human dignity, and fundamental rights at the center of their diplomatic initiatives and peace efforts.
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LIBERTAS is working for the release of Armenian state hostages and the rehabilitation of released prisoners․
