US Congressman Calls on Azerbaijan to Immediately Release All Armenian Prisoners

The Armenian Cause Committee in the United States has welcomed Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s statement condemning Azerbaijan's provocative actions against Armenia, which he made on February 3 in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In his speech dedicated to the 34th anniversary of the Sumgait massacres, Krishnamoorthi emphasized that condemning these atrocities today can help prevent renewed aggression from Azerbaijan against Armenians. He reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to achieving a lasting, peaceful, and democratic resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Discussing the displacements, violence, and massacres against Armenians perpetrated in Soviet Azerbaijan from 1988 to 1990, the congressman noted that Azerbaijan has not ceased its violence against Armenians over the decades that followed. “In September 2020, with the support of Turkey, Azerbaijan bombed the Republic of Artsakh, targeting Armenian schools and religious sites, killing innocent civilians. About a year after these events, Azerbaijan continues to unlawfully detain and torture Armenian prisoners of war from 2020, in blatant violation of the joint statement that demanded the release of all captives,” stated Krishnamoorthi.

“On the 34th anniversary of the Sumgait massacres, I want to emphasize the importance of remembering the crimes against humanity. I call on the Azerbaijani government to accept that such massacres have occurred,” he urged, calling for accountability for all those responsible for such horrific crimes and preventing similar tragedies in the future. “I condemn the ongoing aggression by Azerbaijan against Armenia and call on the Azerbaijani government to immediately and unconditionally release all Armenian prisoners of war and detained civilians,” the congressman said.