PanARMENIAN.Net - A complaint has been filed in Switzerland against SOCAR Trading over its alleged role in financing Azerbaijan's campaign against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Committee for the Defense of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Nagorno-Karabakh reported.
Switzerland's National Contact Point will now review the complaint and determine possible next steps and legal remedies.
According to the statement, the Committee for the Defense of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Nagorno-Karabakh - established by the Nagorno-Karabakh parliament in December 2023 - together with the Switzerland-Armenia Association filed the official complaint on March 18, 2026 against SOCAR Trading SA.
The complaint argues that the company violated international standards of responsible business conduct by providing financial support to a state responsible for the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
"Material support" for ethnic cleansing
The complaint was formally submitted to Switzerland's National Contact Point (SECO) under the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines for multinational enterprises adopted in 2011 and updated in 2023. Under the OECD's "Specific Instance" procedure, Swiss authorities will now examine the allegations and decide on further measures and possible remedies.
SOCAR Trading is the Switzerland-based subsidiary of Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR, serving as a key commercial and financial arm of the country's oil sector and an important source of state revenue.
In September 2023, Azerbaijan's military offensive resulted in the complete displacement of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, effectively ending the centuries-old Armenian presence in the region.
Relying on analyses by several prominent experts - including Luis Moreno Ocampo, the first prosecutor of the International Criminal Court - the organizations filing the complaint argue that the campaign constituted ethnic cleansing and possibly genocide.
The complaint maintains that SOCAR Trading's financial and commercial activities contributed to strengthening Azerbaijan's economic resources and therefore the company had a clear obligation under OECD guidelines to conduct human-rights due diligence and respond to risks arising from its operations.
"The forced displacement of about 150,000 Armenians from their homeland is one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the South Caucasus in recent decades," said Chicago-based international lawyer and committee member Garnik Kerkonian.
"Companies that financially support a state responsible for such actions cannot ignore their obligations under international standards," he added.
Swiss mandate for peace in Nagorno-Karabakh
During a press conference in Geneva, the complainants also recalled that one year ago both chambers of the Swiss Federal Assembly adopted a motion instructing the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs to organize a peace forum between Azerbaijan and representatives of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh. A year later, such a forum has not yet been convened.
The committee and its partners expressed hope that Swiss authorities will implement the parliamentary mandate, which they believe could help build a just and lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
"Switzerland should actively engage in protecting indigenous peoples and ensuring their right to self-determination as guaranteed by the United Nations Charter," said Sarkis Shahinian, honorary president of the Switzerland-Armenia Association.
"A lasting peace cannot be built on ethnic cleansing," said Joel Veldkamp, director of public advocacy at the Zurich-based NGO Christian Solidarity International.
He added that the new conflict involving Iran has once again highlighted the importance of establishing long-term peace and security in the strategically vital South Caucasus region.
Actions at the UN Human Rights Council
At the same time, two members of the committee are participating in the annual session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Speaking through accredited non-governmental organizations, they drew attention to several issues, including the continued detention of Armenian prisoners in Baku, Azerbaijan's refusal to comply with the International Court of Justice ruling of November 17, 2023 calling for the safe return of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, and the ongoing destruction of Armenian cultural and religious heritage in the region.
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale offensive against Nagorno-Karabakh. A day later, the authorities of the region accepted a ceasefire proposal mediated by Russian peacekeepers and agreed to Baku's conditions, including the disarmament of the defense forces and the dissolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. More than 100,000 Armenians were forcibly displaced to Armenia.
Source: PanArmenian.Net
