A Bill Against the Blockade of Artsakh Presented in the U.S. Congress

A bipartisan coalition in the United States House of Representatives, led by the Congressional Armenian Caucus, has presented a bill against the blockade of Artsakh. According to a statement from the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), the bill aims to increase U.S. pressure on Azerbaijan to end the ongoing blockade of Artsakh that has lasted for two months, reports Azatutyun.

The bill, authored by Democratic Congress members Frank Pallone and Brad Sherman from California, already has 65 initial supporters in the House, including both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. The authors of the bill emphasize the necessity of holding Azerbaijan accountable.

In a letter to colleagues, the founding co-chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, Frank Pallone, wrote: "The Aliyev regime is taking premeditated steps to remove the indigenous Armenian population from Artsakh and depriving them of the possibility of living freely, democratically, and with dignity in their ancestral homeland—an evident sign of ethnic cleansing that we cannot ignore."

"The United States must act immediately and use all available diplomatic tools to reopen the corridor before this humanitarian crisis becomes catastrophic," emphasized the congressman.

“The United States must act. That’s why I, along with my colleagues in the Armenian Caucus, have introduced a resolution condemning this deadly blockade unequivocally,” stated Brad Sherman. "Let’s be clear about what this is: Azerbaijan's attempt to drive the ethnic Armenian population of Artsakh from their homes, making life impossible in Artsakh. The tactic is the blockade, the result is civil deprivation, and the aim is ethnic cleansing."

In addition to the stringent condemnation of Azerbaijan's actions, if the resolution is passed, the House of Representatives will propose five practical steps to the U.S. administration to prevent the worsening humanitarian crisis in Artsakh. According to the statement, the proposed actions include: referring Azerbaijan’s war crimes to international courts for investigation, cooperating with international partners—including the authorities of Artsakh—to ensure the deployment of international observers in the Lachin Corridor, immediately halting any U.S. military or security assistance to Azerbaijan, enforcing Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, imposing sanctions on Azerbaijani officials responsible for the blockade of Artsakh and other human rights violations, and developing a robust program for long-term U.S. humanitarian assistance and development support for the Armenian people affected by Azerbaijani aggression.