Schiff and 47 Congress Members Urge U.S. to Address Azerbaijani Atrocities

U.S. Congressman Adam Schiff and a bipartisan group of 47 members of Congress have urged Secretary of State Antony Blinken to prioritize the protection of Armenian heritage sites at risk in Artsakh during future diplomatic engagements with Azerbaijani officials. This was stated in a press release from the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“There is no clearer evidence of Azerbaijan's genocidal intent than its systematic efforts to destroy the last vestiges of Armenian civilization in Artsakh, just as the Turkish governments did after the Armenian Genocide. We commend Representative Schiff’s leadership in securing the protection of Armenian cultural heritage and appreciate his continued efforts to hold Azerbaijan accountable for crimes against humanity,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

In the letter sent by Congressman Schiff and his bipartisan group, they specifically mention, “Since Azerbaijan’s military assault on Artsakh in September 2023, there is already evidence that Azerbaijan continues its strategy of erasing Armenian culture both in and outside of the region.” Acknowledging the significant risks to Armenian cultural heritage, the legislators expressed deep concern and noted that the State Department needs to do more to halt Azerbaijani actions.

“Even while your senior diplomats meet with Azerbaijani officials, it is unclear whether those concerns are being raised or being raised with the appropriate level of seriousness that the issue deserves,” the letter states.

The letter highlights the systematic destruction of Armenian heritage in Nakhichevan from 1997 to 2011, as well as the recent destruction of the St. John the Baptist Church in Shushi (also known as the Green Church). It also points out that Azerbaijan frequently attempts to disguise the destruction of Armenian cultural heritage by labeling its actions as “restoration” of “historical” sites, while claiming that these sites have “Caucasian Albanian” origins.

Nearly 500 Armenian cultural heritage sites are at risk following Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing in Artsakh, including some of the world’s oldest churches and monasteries dating back to the 4th century, along with intricately carved khachkars that are included in UNESCO's representative list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

“Congressman Schiff’s letter comes in the wake of U.S. ambassador Mark Libby’s visit to the city of Shushi last month. Just four days prior, Ambassador Libby stated he would not participate in a propaganda show when asked whether he planned to visit areas subjugated due to the 2020 Artsakh War and Azerbaijan’s attack in September 2023. The visit of the senior American diplomat to Shushi, which has undergone ethnic cleansing of its Armenian population and has recently witnessed severe cultural devastation at the behest of Azerbaijan, contributes to the normalization of Azerbaijan's genocidal behavior while simultaneously undermining trust in U.S. diplomacy in the region. The visit also clearly diverts from the commitment of James O'Brien, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, that there would be “no business as usual” with Azerbaijan following its ethnic cleansing in Artsakh,” emphasized the Armenian National Committee of America in its statement.