The lexicon used by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and his officials leaves no doubt about their genocidal intent. Georgetown University Professor David Phillips stated this during the hearings called, by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the US Congress, on the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) crisis.

According to him, human rights advocates, international organizations, and independent media are sounding the alarm.

Phillips said the proposals that he made in June, including the sanctions on Azerbaijan, the Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, the Humanitarian Corridor Act, and the Magnitsky Act must be implemented.

He noted that the US regularly calls for the reopening of the Lachin corridor by Azerbaijan, but these calls were followed by ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan and the deaths of three Armenians,.

According to the Georgetown University professor, sanctions against officials and the corrupt leadership of Azerbaijan will be more effective.

Also, Phillips said that he is conducting a program to collect the atrocities committed by Azerbaijan in Artsakh, and that it contains information about Azerbaijan's policy of ethnic cleansing.

In addition, Phillips reflected on the war crimes committed by the armed forces of Azerbaijan during the 44-day Artsakh war in 2020, during the aggression against Armenia on September 13 of last year, as well as the violation of humanitarian rights of Armenian prisoners of war being held in Azerbaijani capital Baku, and the illegal trials of Armenian servicemen.

David Phillips calls what is happening in Artsakh the second Armenian genocide.