Azerbaijan Arrests Artsakh Citizen, Creating Dangerous Precedent for Other Armenians: Pallone

U.S. Congressional Armenian Caucus co-chair and Congressman Frank Pallone has publicly expressed concern regarding Azerbaijan's actions in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“On July 29, Azerbaijani armed forces arrested an Artsakh citizen who was being transferred to Armenia for medical treatment by the International Committee of the Red Cross. They [the Azerbaijani side] baselessly claim that he was a war criminal during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war of 1991, thus creating a dangerous precedent for all other Armenians who participated in both wars. This human rights violation occurs just days after Aliyev's regime withdrew from the planned negotiations with the leadership of Artsakh in Bratislava, Slovakia on August 1,” Pallone stated, as reported by Voice of America.

According to the co-chair of the Armenian Caucus, Aliyev's actions continue to demonstrate that he is not interested in alleviating concerns regarding the safety and security of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, which are essential prerequisites for a lasting peace agreement. “Instead, he continues to sabotage negotiations and employs a pressure tactic, hoping to starve people in their historic homelands or force them to submit to his brutal regime,” Pallone emphasized.

He noted that Azerbaijan continues to block the Lachin corridor, preventing ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh from receiving food, medical supplies, and energy resources. “This is a violation of international law and is an obvious campaign of ethnic cleansing carried out by Aliyev’s regime. The international community, including the United States and the United Nations, can and must take clear steps to prevent further deepening of this humanitarian crisis. I urge the State Department to use all available diplomatic tools, including sanctions, to end this blockade,” the congressman concluded.