Washington, D.C. – At last week’s International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit in Washington, D.C., the Armenian Assembly of America (Assembly) joined global leaders, policymakers, and advocates to advance the protection of religious freedom worldwide.
Addressing Summit attendees, Assembly Executive Director Bryan Ardouny drew particular attention to the Armenian Christian hostages held by Azerbaijan, calling for their immediate release.
“For the Armenian Assembly of America, our focus is urgent,” Ardouny stated. “We continue to call for the immediate release of Christian Armenian hostages who remain unjustly held by Azerbaijan, subjected to sham trials, and denied access to international monitors.”
With Vice President JD Vance’s upcoming travel to Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ardouny urged “the Vice President to help amplify our voices and press for their immediate release,” he said.
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Ardouny also expressed deep concern over Azerbaijan’s ongoing destruction of Armenian cultural heritage and Christian religious sites, as well as the broader implications of the ethnic cleansing of Armenians from Nagorno Karabakh.
“These irreplaceable cultural and religious sites belong not only to the Armenian people, but to all of humanity,” Ardouny noted. “The ethnic cleansing of Christian Armenians from Nagorno Karabakh, as documented by Freedom House in a special 2024 report, must be taken as a warning of the extreme risks that religious minorities across Asia and elsewhere continue to face.”
Ardouny underscored the urgency of turning Summit discussions into sustained action.
“Each of us plays a critical role in elevating this cause,” Ardouny said. “Our work does not end when this Summit concludes. It continues the moment we leave this room…when we carry forward what we have learned into the halls of Congress and into the policies that shape lives around the world.”
He concluded by reaffirming the human stakes at the heart of international religious freedom advocacy.
“Religious freedom is not an abstract principle,” Ardouny said. “It is about real people, real families, and real lives—and it is our shared responsibility to defend it.”
As part of the Summit, the Armenian Assembly hosted a high-level Congressional Advocacy event that brought together Members of Congress, religious freedom advocates, and community leaders to discuss the growing threats faced by persecuted religious communities. The event featured remarks from Ambassador Sam Brownback, Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, State Department Principal Advisor on Global Religious Freedom Mark Walker, Senator James Lankford (R-OK), Rep. French Hill (R-AR), Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), David Trimble, President Religious Freedom Institute, International Religious Freedom Summit Co-Leads Drew Bowling and Amjad Khan, and other distinguished speakers.
Speakers emphasized the importance of safeguarding religious freedom as a cornerstone of democracy and human rights, and thanked participants for their continued leadership and engagement.
The Armenian Assembly reaffirmed its commitment to advancing international religious freedom, protecting persecuted communities, and advocating for accountability and justice through sustained engagement with U.S. and international partners.
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 strictly non-partisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt membership organization.
Armenian Assembly of America