US Trade Department Must Explain Why It Is Considering Sale of Advanced Weapons to Azerbaijan, Says Adam Schiff

US Congressman Adam Schiff is urging his colleagues to join him in demanding that the Trade Department explain why it is considering the sale of American advanced weaponry to Azerbaijan, given that Azerbaijan has been blocking Artsakh for over 125 days and continues to launch attacks against Armenia.

Schiff has called on his colleagues to co-sign a letter addressed to Trade Secretary Gina Raimondo, which demands "additional information from the Trade Department regarding the status of any export license requests to send lethal weapons to Azerbaijan." He stated that "the approval of the export of more lethal weapons directed at Armenia would only exacerbate the conflict."

Schiff also referenced the State Department's 2022 Human Rights report, which included "credible information about extrajudicial killings, including the mass execution of Armenian soldiers in Azerbaijani captivity, torture, and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, with a high level of impunity."

Members of Congress are expected to sign the letter to Secretary Raimondo by Friday, April 21. Reports of a possible sale of American firearms, including assault and semi-automatic sniper weapons, surfaced on February 1. At that time, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez expressed deep concerns in a letter to Secretary Raimondo.

On February 13, concerns regarding military assistance to Baku were also raised in a letter to Secretary Gina Raimondo by Aram Hamparian, Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of America, and Steve Elmasyan, President of the Committee’s Rhode Island chapter.