Lawmakers, human rights experts, and Armenian American advocates demand sanctions, enforcement of Section 907, release of Armenian hostages, and the safe return of Artsakh’s indigenous Armenians
WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) brought together Members of Congress, international legal experts, and community leaders on Capitol Hill for “Accountability | 2025”, a program marking the second anniversary of Azerbaijan’s genocidal ethnic cleansing of Artsakh. The event capped the second day of ANCA Advocacy Days, organized by the ANCA Eastern Region and Western Region, which mobilized Armenian Americans nationwide for more than 100 Congressional meetings in support of pro-Armenian priorities.
The program was live-streamed on ANCA social channels and is available here:
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Dr. Ara Chalian, ANCA Eastern Region Chairman, opened the evening with a moment of silence and a reflection on the gravity of the occasion. “This was not a war,” he said. “This was a systemic and systematic erasure of people from their land… The U.S. must lead with principle and accountability. It must stand for the right of return, demand the release of Armenian political prisoners, enforce Section 907, and apply Magnitsky sanctions against Azerbaijani officials responsible for war crimes.”
Congressional Armenian Caucus Founding Co-Chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) echoed those themes, recalling decades of broken promises from Baku and Ankara and calling for a U.S. policy rooted in accountability. “The bottom line is that the people of Artsakh… have every right to go back, get their lands back, to seek reparations if they want to. That has to be part of any kind of agreement with Armenia,” Rep. Pallone stressed. “There has to be sanctions against Aliyev and the leaders who perpetrated this genocide.”
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), who led calls for U.S. aid to Artsakh since his first term in Congress, called Azerbaijan’s campaign one of “the foremost human rights crises of our time” and urged colleagues to end the practice of waiving Section 907 restrictions on military aid. “Enough with the waivers,” Sherman declared. “It is time to end all military assistance to Azerbaijan.” To that end, Rep. Sherman introduced an amendment to the FY26 State Department Authorization Bill this week, removing the waiver authority. Rep. Sherman also announced his introduction of an amendment to another bill which would predicate U.S. support to Turkey and Azerbaijan on various projects on lifting the blockade of Armenia and releasing the Armenian hostages, respectively.
Freshman Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA), representing one of the nation’s largest Armenian American constituencies, emphasized the self-determination rights at the heart of Artsakh’s struggle. “The people of Artsakh, undisputably the indigenous people of that region, had an absolute right in following the American example of self-governance,” she said. “That’s what has been taken away by Azerbaijan. Peace without justice is not peace.”
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) spoke with conviction, zeroing in on the urgent humanitarian dimension: “We need the release of POWs now. Secondly, we must have accountability for those who committed war crimes among the Azerbaijanis. It’s simple.” Rep. Vince Fong (R-CA) highlighted bipartisan commitment: “Going forward, Congress must continue to press for the release of prisoners of war, support Armenia’s sovereignty, and advocate for the safe return of Artsakh’s displaced families.”
Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), who visited Artsakh before its destruction, recalled her trip with deep emotion. “It was so beautiful, so lively, and the Armenian people were so clearly thriving and so proud. Sure enough, when I returned, Azerbaijan banned me from ever coming to their country. But of course, I consider that a badge of honor. It only strengthens my resolve to advocate for the Armenian people.”
The evening’s keynote speakers provided searing legal and historical perspectives on emboldening dictators and white-washing genocide. Armenian Legal Center (ALC) Executive Director Siranush Sahakyan detailed the legal obligations already recognized by international courts that Azerbaijan continues to flout. She cited the landmark Sarkissian v. Azerbaijan judgment, which found Baku in continuing violation of property and family rights by blocking the return of Armenians to their homes. “To call this peace while return is blocked is to normalize ethnic cleansing and to incentivize the use of force over law,” Sahakyan warned. “Tonight’s commemoration must be about responsibility. America must stand for the return of the people of Artsakh to their homes, from which they were driven. Peace without justice is not peace, and the right of return must not remain as a slogan — it must be realized.”
International law expert and member of the Committee for the Defense of the Fundamental Rights of the People of Artsakh Karnig Kerkonian cautioned against mistaking silence and normalization for peace. “Appeasement does not work in the face of genocidal intent,” he said, warning that ignoring Azerbaijan’s crimes will only embolden them. “The problem, of course, with pretending is, well, it’s pretending, isn’t it? And at some point, the make-believe gives way, and the harsh reality hits us in the face head-on.” Kerkonian closed with a sobering reminder of the stakes: “The truth is that the Armenian genocide was the first phase of the destruction of the Armenian people. The truth is that Nagorno-Karabakh was the second. And if we choose not to hold Azerbaijan accountable this time, the truth is that the third phase will indeed be the final one.”
ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian closed the evening by underscoring that “to normalize genocide is to invite violence.” He praised the leadership of Sahakyan and Kerkonian, as well as the tireless grassroots advocates who traveled to Washington to advance the Armenian Cause. Hamparian then pivoted to concrete next steps: the introduction of the bipartisan Azerbaijan Sanctions Review Act of 2025 in the U.S. House and a Senate letter spearheaded by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA)and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) pressing for the release of Armenian hostages, and an ANCA / ALC congressional staff briefing on Azerbaijan’s illegal detentions scheduled for tomorrow. “We need to put America back on the right side of Artsakh,” Hamparian affirmed. “With your help, we can do exactly that.”
