The interference of the network of Luis Ocampo, former prosecutor of the UN International Criminal Court, in the electoral processes in Armenia through his connections, as well as his goals indirectly aimed at disrupting the normalization processes in the South Caucasus, are being exposed.
This was reported to “Elchi” by the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center).
It was noted that in such a situation, it is unacceptable for the reaction of European institutions to be limited to mere silence:
“The exposure of video recordings featuring Luis Moreno Ocampo and his son Tomas has added a dramatic new page to an already troubling story. An Argentine-born former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Ocampo has spent several years trying to present himself as a neutral legal expert on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. However, the footage released by ‘Minval Politika’ on April 30 completely shatters this claim. In one of the videos, Ocampo clearly states that the goal of their network is to ‘remove Pashinyan from power,’ the current Prime Minister of Armenia. In another video, Luis Ocampo proudly notes that one of the former assistants to Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has already become his associate and is working in the European Parliament to ‘make corrections in European policy,’ pressure European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and achieve the cancellation of the EU’s energy agreement with Azerbaijan through European courts. These are statements that expose the activities of a paid political operative, not an impartial expert.”
According to the AIR Center, these facts are not surprising to those who have been following Ocampo’s activities:
“His interference in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations began long before the current scandal. In August 2023, he prepared a document that he presented as an ‘expert opinion,’ accusing Azerbaijan of committing genocide against Armenians in the Karabakh region of our country. Although this document was widely circulated by Armenian lobby groups and media outlets close to them, serious legal and methodological flaws in that document were later revealed. Ocampo’s personal credibility was damaged long before he turned his attention to the subject of Azerbaijan. During his tenure as the ICC Chief Prosecutor, investigations conducted by the European Investigative Collaborations and Der Spiegel revealed that he had violated the requirements of the ICC statute by managing various offshore companies and receiving undisclosed payments from a Libyan billionaire whose connections to armed groups were later exposed.”
It was stated that the main point confirmed by the currently circulated video recordings is that Ocampo’s activities were not limited to preparing expert opinions:
“According to some reports, the network, which also receives financial support from Armenian oligarchs in Russia, including Samvel Karapetyan, systematically conducts lobbying activities in European institutions, builds connections in the European Parliament, and works in coordination with Armenian diaspora-lobby organizations in the US. The timing of these revelations is also of particular importance. Armenia is heading toward parliamentary elections, and the main question facing voters is this: whether to confirm Prime Minister Pashinyan’s peace agenda through voting, or to reject it by choosing the political program of forces that oppose the ongoing peace process with Azerbaijan. As Tomas Ocampo himself confirmed, the Ocampo network openly supports the position of the latter.”
It was noted that the leaked footage reveals that the foreign lobby apparatus is influencing Armenia’s internal politics, supporting an agenda that does not serve the interests of the country or the region, but rather those who profit from continued conflict.
“In such a situation, the reaction of European institutions should not be silence. If a former assistant to Borrell has indeed become part of an Armenian lobby network operating within the European Parliament, the Belgian authorities and EU bodies overseeing ethical standards must investigate this. If the resolutions adopted by the European Parliament regarding Armenia-Azerbaijan issues, especially the latest document adopted on April 30, contain expressions more in line with the political rhetoric of the pro-Russian opposition than the peace process, this should also be seriously reconsidered in light of the new facts. At the same time, international media and legal institutions that circulated Ocampo’s claims without sufficient verification should also reconsider the importance they have given to his assessments,” the AIR Center noted.