Coalition calls on Chairman McCaul to advance legislation to stop aid  to Azerbaijan and sanction Aliyev officials

ArmInfo. Leading national organizations representing Hellenic, Armenian, and Christian Americans today called upon Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) of the U.S.  House Foreign Affairs Committee to allow his panel to consider two pending bipartisan bills - H.R.7288, the Armenian Protection Act, and H.R.8141, the Azerbaijan Sanctions Review Act, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), the Hellenic American  Leadership Council (HALC), and In Defense of Christians (IDC).

H.R.7288, introduced by Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) is the House  counterpart to S.3000, introduced by Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and  passed unanimously by the Senate last year. It aims to end the U.S.   military aid program to Azerbaijan. The ANCA brief on this bill is  available at: https://anca.org/lawlerbrief

H.R.8141, introduced by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) supports the  application of Global Magnitsky Sanctions against Azerbaijani  officials guilty of human rights abuses and war crimes. The ANCA  brief on this bill can be found at: Brief:  https://anca.org/sanctionsbrief

The full text of the letter is provided below.

May 30, 2024

Hon. Michael McCaul

Chair of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs

2300 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman McCaul:

In light of Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh  (Artsakh) and ongoing aggression against the Republic of Armenia, we  are writing to respectfully request the U.S. House Committee on  Foreign Affairs schedule a full committee markup of H.R.7288 - the  Armenian Protection Act - and H.R.8141 - the Azerbaijan Sanctions  Review Act.

H.R.7288 would prohibit the president of the United States from  exercising his waiver authority over Section 907 of the FREEDOM  Support Act for 2 years, enforcing statutory prohibitions on U.S.  military assistance to Azerbaijan. Its Senate companion bill - S.3000  - was introduced by Senator Gary Peters last year, and passed the  Senate by unanimous consent.

H.R.8141 would require the President and the State Department to  review the applicability of Global Magnitsky Act and other sanctions  against Azerbaijani officials responsible for war crimes including  the arbitrary detention and torture of Armenian prisoners of war, the  summary execution of captives, and other human rights violations.

As you know, last year Azerbaijan imposed a 10-month blockade of the  Lachin Corridor - the only road connecting the Armenian-majority  region of Nagorno-Karabakh with the Republic of Armenia. Having  deprived the local population of 120,000 Christian Armenians access  to food, fuel, medicine, electricity, and humanitarian goods -  Azerbaijan launched a military assault on the region, forcibly  displacing its entire Armenian population in what legal experts have  defined as ethnic cleansing. Since its military subjugation of  Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan has undertaken a systematic campaign of  cultural destruction - threatening the survival of the world's oldest  churches and monasteries.

In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last year,  Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia Ambassador  Yuri Kim stated "the United States will not countenance any action or  effort-short-term or long-term-to ethnically cleanse or commit other  atrocities against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh."  Despite this, Azerbaijan has faced no material consequences for its  aggression - emboldening its authoritarian regime, which currently  occupies Armenian sovereignty territory and regularly resorts to the  threat and use of force to impose demands on Armenia.

The United States has historically furnished Azerbaijan with security  assistance out of a misplaced belief that its regime has a role to  play in U.S. security interests in the region. Azerbaijan has  interpreted this material support as a green-light to pursue a brutal  campaign of aggression against Armenia and Nagorno- Karabakh for  decades - threatening one of the region's only democracies. At the  same time, Azerbaijan has bolstered its energy and security ties with  Russia and Iran - undermining U.S. efforts to contain the malign  influence of these two regional threats, and serving as a conduit for  their regimes to evade international sanctions.

It is clear that in the absence of accountability and material  consequences, Azerbaijan will continue unabated in its aggression  against Armenia - undermining efforts to ensure an equitable and  durable peace in the region.

The United States has the tools to hold Azerbaijan accountable for  its aggression. Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act was enacted  into law in 1992 in response to Azerbaijan's blockade and use of  military force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Successive  administrations have routinely waived Section 907 of the FREEDOM  Support Act under a waiver authority intended to secure Azerbaijan's  support for U.S. security interests in the region. However, in light  of Azerbaijan's aggression against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh - and  its cooperation with Russia and Iran - the United States must  reevaluate its military ties with Azerbaijan.

Furthermore, given the significant human rights violations  perpetrated during the conflict, the United States must take action  to hold individuals responsible for war crimes. The Global Magnitsky  Human Rights Accountability Act authorizes the U.S. to impose  sanctions on foreign officials responsible for gross human rights  violations. Given Azerbaijan's ongoing detention of dozens of  Armenian prisoners of war, Nagorno- Karabakh's civilian leadership,  and countless political prisoners - sanctions represent an important  mechanism for deterring the credible risk of torture and abuse in  custody, and securing a pathway to their unconditional release as  mandated under international law.

Enforcing prohibitions on security assistance to Azerbaijan and  imposing sanctions on those responsible for war crimes would not only  ensure Azerbaijan's regime faces material consequences for its  flagrant violations of international law - it would also apply  pressure on Azerbaijan to end its practice of coercive diplomacy,  reducing the risk of a new war in the region.

As long as Azerbaijan continues to benefit from impunity amid its  ongoing aggression and occupation of sovereign Armenian territory,  its regime will believe there is more to gain from aggression and war  than through negotiations. Given the role the United States has taken  in facilitating peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan, we have a  responsibility to take action to constrain Azerbaijan's aggression  and ensure it comes to the negotiating table in good faith.

As such, we once again respectfully urge you to ensure an expeditious  full-committee markup of H.R.7288 and H.R.8141. Amid the growing  threat of authoritarian expansionism across the world today, the  failure to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its assault on Armenia and  Nagorno-Karabakh will set a dangerous precedent and signal to U.S.  rivals that the United States is only prepared to defend the  principles of democracy, human rights, and rules-based order when  convenient.

Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request. We look  forward to your response and welcome the opportunity to meet with you  to discuss further.

Sincerely,

[signed] Aram Hamparian Executive Director ANCA

[signed] Endy Zemenides Executive Director Hellenic American  Leadership Council

[signed] Richard Ghazal Executive Director In Defense of Christians