Can Azerbaijan be prosecuted for war crimes?

Steve Swerdlow, human rights lawyer and professor at the University of Southern California, examines the human rights implications of Azerbaijan’s 2022 attack on Armenia and the ongoing border aggression. Drawing on international law and his own fieldwork, Swerdlow argues that these actions constitute a crime, and calls for accountability through the International Criminal Court or universal jurisdiction, a legal principle that allows states or international organizations to prosecute individuals. He also highlights the dangers of entrenched hate speech and Armenophobia in Azerbaijan, and makes the case for international pressure, legal action, and a recommitment by Armenia to its human rights obligations as part of its path forward.