The Committee for the Protection of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Nagorno-Karabakh issued a statement.
“Switzerland filed a complaint against SOCAR Trading for its participation in financing Azerbaijan’s campaign against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.”
Geneva – March 18, 2026
The Committee for the Protection of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Nagorno-Karabakh, established by the Parliament of Nagorno-Karabakh in December 2023, together with the Switzerland-Armenia Association, filed a formal complaint against SOCAR Trading SA in Switzerland on March 18, 2026.
The complaint states 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 the Swiss National Contact Point (SECO) in accordance with the 2011 and 2023 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. In accordance with the “Special Procedure” of the OECD Guidelines, the Swiss National Contact Point will review the complaint and determine further action and measures to address it.
SOCAR Trading is the Swiss subsidiary of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), which is the commercial and financial arm of Azerbaijan’s oil sector and a key source of revenue for the Azerbaijani state. 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.
Drawing on analysis by numerous leading experts, including the first Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo, the complaining organizations argue that this campaign amounts to ethnic cleansing and possibly genocide.
The complaint alleges that SOCAR Trading, through its financial and commercial activities, contributed to the economic resources of the Azerbaijani state and therefore had a clear obligation under OECD guidelines to conduct thorough human rights due diligence and address the risks associated with its activities.
“The forced displacement of approximately 150,000 Armenians from their homeland is one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the South Caucasus in decades,” said Garnik Kerkonian, a Chicago-based international lawyer and member of the Committee. “Companies that provide financial support to the state responsible for these actions cannot ignore their obligations under international standards.”
Swiss Mandate for Peace in Nagorno-Karabakh
At today’s press conference in Geneva, the applicants also recalled that exactly one year ago, both houses of the Swiss Federal Assembly adopted a resolution instructing the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs to organize a peace forum between representatives of the peoples of Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh. A year later, such a forum has still not taken place.
The Committee and its partners expressed hope that the Swiss authorities will fulfill this parliamentary mandate, which they believe could play an important role in building a just and sustainable peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“Switzerland must actively engage in the protection of indigenous peoples and their right to self-determination, guaranteed by the Charter of the United Nations,” stated Sargis Shahinian, Honorary President of the Switzerland-Armenia Association. “As a neutral state, Switzerland is well positioned to play a constructive role in finding a just solution to this long-standing conflict.”
“Lasting peace cannot be built on ethnic cleansing,” said Joel Veldkamp, director of communications for the Zurich-based NGO Christian Solidarity International, who also spoke at the press conference. “The new conflict with Iran has demonstrated more clearly than ever the importance of building long-term peace and security in the vital region of the South Caucasus.”
Actions at the UN Human Rights Council
Meanwhile, two members of the Committee for the Protection of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Nagorno-Karabakh are participating in the annual session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Speaking at plenary sessions on behalf of several accredited NGOs, they drew the Council’s attention to the detention of Armenian hostages in Baku prisons by Azerbaijan.
“In connection with the ongoing illegal detention, Azerbaijan’s refusal to comply with the International Court of Justice’s decision of November 17, 2023 (requiring the safe return of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to their historical homeland), as well as the ongoing destruction of Armenian spiritual and cultural monuments in Nagorno-Karabakh,” the statement reads.