Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced a comprehensive bipartisan US Senate resolution condemning Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), calling for targeted sanctions against President Aliyev’s genocidal regime, demanding the immediate release of illegally held Armenian prisoners, seeking a prohibition on US military aid to Azerbaijan, and affirming the right of return of Artsakh’s population with strong security protections, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

Resolution co-author Dr. Cassidy explained, “Azerbaijan is holding Europe hostage because of their energy, but Louisiana has enough energy to meet Europe’s needs. The world cannot enable a dictator.”

Specifically, the Peters-Cassidy resolution:

Condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the atrocities perpetrated by the Government of Azerbaijan against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and recognizes both the blockade and subsequent Azerbaijani offensive as ethnic cleansing.

Calls for the imposition of sanctions against Azerbaijani officials complicit in human rights abuses against the Artsakh Armenian population.

Advocates for “strong protections” to ensure the safety and security of Armenians returning to their ancestral lands, deterring further aggression.

Stipulates “robust” humanitarian assistance to respond to the refugee crisis in Armenia caused by Azerbaijan’s forced depopulation of over 100,000 Artsakh Armenians and urges the Administration to coordinate international aid efforts.

Prohibit the provision of United States military aid to Azerbaijan pursuant to section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act .

Calls for strengthening the United States-Armenia security partnership as Armenia bolsters its ties to Western allies.

Urges active US diplomacy in the South Caucasus to facilitate the “release of all Armenians unjustly imprisoned by the Government of Azerbaijan, establishes a right of return and security guarantees for the displaced Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, and preserves the Armenian cultural heritage of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

The measure calls specific attention to the “dozens of Armenian prisoners of war, civilian captives, and members of the political leadership of Nagorno-Karabakh are now unjustly imprisoned in Azerbaijan on politically motivated charges or no charges at all.” 

It notes that the “Government of Azerbaijan has a well-documented record of subjecting Armenian prisoners to torture, humiliation, and other violations of fundamental rights afforded by the Geneva Conventions.”

The resolution also highlights that international legal experts, including former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo and former United Nations genocide expert Juan Mendez, have determined that Azerbaijan’s blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh violated the United Nations Genocide Convention.

The resolution builds on a similar bi-partisan resolution in the U.S. House (H.R.1327), introduced by Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), which has over 25 cosponsors.