Thirty-six U.S. Representatives—led by Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Chris Smith (R-NJ)—have called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to impose Global Magnitsky sanctions on Azerbaijani officials responsible for grave human rights abuses against Armenians, including the illegal detention, abuse and sham trials of Armenian prisoners of war and former Nagorno-Karabakh leaders. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) welcomed the Congressional letter as a bipartisan step toward accountability and justice for the Armenian people of Nagorno-Karabakh.
“This bipartisan letter - led by Representatives Dina Titus and Chris Smith - sends a powerful message that America must stand on the side of justice and accountability,” stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We thank all the members of Congress who signed this letter for demanding immediate Magnitsky sanctions against Azerbaijani officials involved in war crimes and the unlawful detention of Armenian political leaders and POWs. Durable peace in the region requires the release of all illegally detained Armenians, the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from Armenian territory, and, of course, support for the right of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians to collectively return to their ancestral homes with dignity and security.”
The bipartisan letter urges the State Department to “immediately exercise your authority to impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on Azerbaijani officials responsible for the perpetration of grave human rights abuses and war crimes against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
The signatories emphasized that “to this day, Azerbaijan continues to illegally detain at least 23 known Armenian prisoners of war captured during and following the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh,” warning that “these political hostages, including former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, have been subject to abuse and degrading treatment in custody.”
They further stressed the broader regional implications of Azerbaijani impunity, writing: “The sham trials of high-profile Armenian figures undermine confidence-building measures necessary for a sustainable peace. Releasing political prisoners and prisoners of war is a critical step toward achieving a just and lasting resolution.”
