Washington, D.C. – The Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) welcomed a congressional letter led by Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to demand that Azerbaijan immediately release all Armenian political prisoners and prisoners of war, allow international monitoring of their ongoing trials in Baku, and impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on Azerbaijani officials responsible for gross human rights violations.
The letter, signed by 27 Senators, condemns Azerbaijan’s continued detention and abuse of 23 known Armenian hostages, citing “politically motivated sham trials under false pretenses,” against former Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) officials and “degrading treatment in custody.” Lawmakers emphasized that U.S. inaction “in the face of Azerbaijan’s authoritarian aggression is unacceptable and will have grave ramifications for U.S. credibility throughout the region.”
Senators Markey and Whitehouse detailed Azerbaijan’s pattern of escalating aggression since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, including the blockade and subsequent military assault that forcibly displaced 120,000 Christian Armenians which “international legal experts have characterized as ethnic cleansing,” and urged Secretary Rubio to leverage all diplomatic and sanctions tools to secure the hostages’ freedom and promote a durable peace based on accountability and human rights.
“We applaud Senator Markey and Senator Whitehouse for their steadfast efforts in pressing for the release of Artsakh Armenians held hostage in Azerbaijan,” said Assembly Congressional Relations Director Mariam Khaloyan. “This is a matter of urgent humanitarian concern for the Armenian-American community. And as Armenia seeks to strengthen its ties with the West, U.S. action is critical to ensure accountability, uphold human rights, and support a just and lasting peace between Armenians and Azerbaijanis.”
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The letter reinforces growing concern in Congress over Azerbaijan’s record of human rights abuses and its efforts to silence international scrutiny by expelling the International Committee of the Red Cross from the country, emphasizing that the release of political prisoners and prisoners of war is “a critical step toward achieving a just and lasting resolution” between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Though the lawmakers remain “cautiously hopeful” that recent negotiations may pave the way for a more peaceful future for the South Caucasus, they noted that “Azerbaijan’s ongoing hostage diplomacy and unreasonable reconditions jeopardize that progress.”
In conclusion, the letter stated that “It is both a moral and strategic imperative for the United States to take bold action to compel Azerbaijan to release unjustly detained Armenian prisoners and ensure regional peace is predicated on accountability, justice, and the fundamental right of return for Nagorno-Karabakh’s displaced Armenian population.”
The letter was cosigned by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Chris Coons (D-DE), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Gary Peters (D-MI), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Fetterman (D-PA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).
Established in 1972, the Armenian Assembly of America is the largest Washington-based nationwide organization promoting public understanding and awareness of Armenian issues. The Assembly is a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
Armenian Assembly of America