DISCUSSION: The Issue of Artsakh Addressed in the US Congress

The US Congress held hearings by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, co-chaired by Congressman Chris Smith. The speakers included Luis Moreno Ocampo and David Phillips, as reported by Voice of America.

Recently, the US State Department informed about a phone call on September 1 between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, during which Blinken reiterated US concerns regarding the worsening humanitarian situation in Nagorno-Karabakh and renewed Washington's call to reopen the Lachin corridor for humanitarian, commercial purposes, and the movement of people.

Congressman Chris Smith, who co-chairs the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, presided over the hearings on September 6 regarding the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, expressing that merely voicing concerns is not enough. “Stronger and more direct statements directed at Aliyev are necessary. He is being accused of genocide, which cannot go unanswered. The worst-case consequence for Aliyev would be criminal prosecution. People cannot be starved to death. He is using food and medicine as weapons,” emphasized Congressman Smith in an interview with Voice of America after the hearings.