“Shameful Silence”: Greta Thunberg Urges COP29 Attendees to Speak Out and Demand the Release of Armenian POWs in Baku

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg made a bold statement by calling on global leaders and journalists attending the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, to visit Armenian POWs held in the country. Thunberg’s remarks came during a protest in Yerevan, Armenia, where demonstrators gathered outside the United Nations (UN) office to demand accountability for human rights abuses.

On Friday, protesters in Armenia held a demonstration under the slogan "Stop Greenwashing Genocide!" to voice concerns over Azerbaijan's human rights record and its role as host of the prestigious climate summit. Thunberg, who refused to attend COP29 due to its location, joined the protest, delivering a powerful speech condemning the Azerbaijani government's actions.

The protesters also handed a letter to the UN office in Armenia, urging Secretary-General António Guterres to investigate why Armenians no longer reside in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and to visit Armenians allegedly being held illegally in Azerbaijan.

In her address, Thunberg criticized Azerbaijan for its track record of human rights violations, alleging ethnic cleansing, forced displacement, and psychological and physical violence against Armenians. She called Azerbaijan an “authoritarian petro-state” reliant on fossil fuels and accused it of using the COP29 platform to "greenwash" its actions.

“It is nauseating how, during a rapidly escalating climate emergency, the COP meeting is being held in a country with no respect for basic human rights,” Thunberg stated. “Azerbaijan is responsible for ethnic cleansing and genocidal acts against Armenians while expanding its fossil fuel production and exporting energy to support military aggression. This is incompatible with the principles of climate justice.”

Thunberg emphasized the importance of intertwining climate justice with social justice. “We cannot pretend to care about the climate while ignoring atrocities like these,” she declared, emphasizing the need for justice for marginalized groups, including Armenians.

She called on the international community to speak out against Azerbaijan’s alleged human rights abuses and urged reporters and officials attending COP29 to visit Armenian captives and demand their release. “It is shameful that the world remains silent in the face of these military aggressions,” she added.

The demonstration in Yerevan shows growing discontent with what activists see as the politicization of global climate platforms. Critics argue that allowing Azerbaijan to host COP29 provides the country with undue legitimacy despite its controversial domestic and foreign policies. 

Protesters and activists, including Thunberg, demand accountability and transparency, urging global leaders to prioritize justice and ethical governance over economic and political interests.

Thunberg’s refusal to attend COP29 and her active participation in the protest have amplified calls for action. Her message shows the need for the climate movement to address broader issues of social justice and human rights, ensuring that no nation uses environmental platforms to overshadow serious violations.

As the COP29 conference continues in Baku, Thunberg and the protesters in Yerevan remind the world that true climate justice cannot exist without addressing injustices against vulnerable communities.