Genocide Denial and the Fragile Path to Peace Between Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Vardui Chtrkyan
- Sep 25
- 3 min read
By: Alisa Adzhemyan
Armenia and Azerbaijan have conflicted over the region called Nagorno-Karabakh (Called Artsakh by Armenia) for decades. In 2023, Azerbaijan took control of the region after a military operation, and many Armenians were forced to leave. Since then, both countries have been trying to make peace. In March 2025, they said they agreed on what the treaty’s text should look like. But there are still important disagreements. One of those is over parts of Armenia’s constitution that Azerbaijan says imply territorial claims. Armenia disagrees.
“Genocide denial” means refusing to believe or admitting that huge harms happened to a group of people, whether that is killing, displacement, destroying culture, etc. This is detrimental to society, as without the acknowledgment of such actions, those who were harmed often don't get justice, and it allows the same behavior to repeat.
Here are things that are being said:
Armenian groups and human rights organizations believe Azerbaijan committed mass crimes, including ethnic cleansing, forced displacement of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, blocking resources (like food and medicine), and destruction of Armenian cultural or religious sites (Al Jazeera, 2025).
These groups also believe that the peace treaty talks or treaty drafts are ignoring, minimizing, or not properly acknowledging the Prisoners of War. (Lemkin Institute, 2025).
On the other side, the Azerbaijani government rejects accusations of genocide. Azerbaijan insists that references in Armenian documents that others interpret as territorial claims should be removed. They see those as threats to their sovereignty (Reuters, 2025).
On August 8, 2025, Armenia and Azerbaijan reached a major milestone: they initialed a peace agreement in Washington, D.C., brokered with U.S. help. The leaders, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, were joined by U.S. President Donald Trump for the ceremony. The agreement is formally known as the “Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.” The treaty text was published a few days later.
Some of the main points are:
Both countries agree to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity (Al Jazeera, 2025).
They renounce territorial claims against each other and promise not to use force or threaten each other (Lemkin Institute, 2025).
They will establish diplomatic relations once they exchange ratification documents (that means once each side finishes its internal legal steps). (Anadolu Ajansı, 2025)
There’s agreement to delimit (figure out) and demarcate (mark) the border (Anadolu Ajansı, 2025).
No third-party military forces will be stationed along their mutual border (Caucasian Knot, 2025).
The treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been agreed upon and signed, and it commits both countries to respect borders, drop territorial claims, and avoid force. That’s a big deal. But whether it becomes real peace, including justice, recognition, trust, and safety for those harmed, depends on what happens next. Will constitutional amendments happen? Will displaced Armenians be able to return? Will there be recognition of past harms, maybe in legal or symbolic form? Will the treaty text and what leaders say avoid genocide denial, not just in law, but in memory and in practice?
Only if all those pieces fall into place can this be more than just a deal on paper.
Works Cited
Armenian National Committee of America. (2025, August 7). ANCA: White House-Backed Deal Rewards Azerbaijan’s Genocide, Undermines Armenia’s Sovereignty [Press release]. https://anca.org/press-release/anca-white-house-backed-deal-rewards-azerbaijans-genocide-undermines-armenias-sovereignty/ Armenian National Committee of America
Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention. (2025, August 31). Statement on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Joint Declaration: This is No “Peace Deal”. https://www.lemkininstitute.com/statements-new-page/statement-on-the-armenia-azerbaijan-joint-declaration%3A-this-is-no-%E2%80%9Cpeace-deal%E2%80%9D Lemkin Institute
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. (2025, August 11). Publication of the initialed Agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. https://www.mfa.am/en/press-releases/2025/08/11/Initialed%20Arm-Az%20Peace%20Agreement%20text/13394 Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
Reuters. (2025, August 11). Azerbaijan, Armenia publish text of US-brokered peace deal. Reuters.https://www.reuters.com/world/azerbaijan-armenia-publish-text-us-brokered-peace-deal-2025-08-11/ Reuters
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