In a video obtained by The Armenian Report, human rights judges, lawyers, and activists from around the globe spoke out against Azerbaijan’s crimes against humanity and urged the international community to secure the release of Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan, noted The Armenian Report.

Among the speakers are Baroness Caroline Cox, a member of the UK House of Lords; international human rights advocate Jared Genser; Luis Moreno Ocampo, former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court; Azerbaijani exile journalist and blogger Mahammad Mirzali; award-winning publisher and writer Dele Olojede; and several others. Below are some excerpts from their words.

Jared Genser: "Dictators release political prisoners only when they face consequences."

Baroness Caroline Cox: "I would hope that the international community might exert a little bit more pressure on Azerbaijan to free those people it is holding captive illegally and causing, obviously, a great deal of suffering."

Mahammad Mirzali: "I’m shameful that European politicians continue to align with Azerbaijan and call it a reliable partner. Madame Ursula von der Leyen [i.e. the President of the European Commission] shook hands with [Azerbaijani president] Ilham Aliyev. This gesture is disgraceful. Especially from Europe, a place with many politicians that claim to uphold human rights. For the sake of gas, they are putting human rights on the back burner. Many European leaders, including Charles Michel, continue to congratulate and shake hands with Ilham Aliyev. Congratulations for what? For imprisoning more than 300 Azerbaijani political prisoners? For detaining numerous Armenian hostages? For holding French citizens in jail? This is the kind of violence that is committed on Azerbaijani prisoners, foreigners in Azerbaijan, and even myself. I have survived 3 murder attempts on French soil, commanded by Azerbaijan."