U.S. Congressmen demand use of Global Magnitsky Act to "sanction  President Aliyev and other Azerbaijani officials"

ArmInfo. A bipartisan initiative led by Representatives Frank Pallone, Jr (D-NJ), Jim Costa  (D-CA), and Brad Sherman (D-CA), addressed a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development Samantha Power, urging them to take a  strong stance to support Armenia and prevent Azerbaijan from further  attacking the Armenian people, reported the Armenian Assembly of  America (Assembly). 

The letter details the use of sanctions on Azerbaijan, ending all  U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan, providing humanitarian  assistance to Armenia, releasing prisoners of war and Artsakh  government officials, providing security assistance to Armenia, and  protecting Armenia's territorial sovereignty.

Highlighting the importance of promoting peace in the South Caucasus,  the Members of Congress provide "concrete steps" to preserve  Armenia's territorial integrity and express that the "United States  must take bold actions to help democratic Armenia to protect itself  against destabilizing, autocratic regimes like Azerbaijan."

Referring to the Administration's announcement of $11.5 million in  humanitarian aid to help communities impacted by the Azerbaijani  military attack on Artsakh, the letter states that the U.S. "must  continue providing additional humanitarian assistance to Armenia to  aid refugees who fled to Armenia from Artsakh" and "further encourage  continued U.S. diplomatic engagement" to prevent "an all-out war in  the South Caucasus."

"Signals from Azerbaijani President Aliyev indicate that his campaign  of ethnic cleansing will not cease with his military attacks on  Artsakh," the letter continues, citing reports that Putin, Erdogan,  and Aliyev have "recently agreed to a deal in principle to dismantle  the current Armenian state by allowing Azerbaijan to invade southern  Armenia with full impunity." 

"If these reports are accurate, this plan would trigger the  full-scale invasion of a sovereign, democratic country whose foreign  policy has made a sharp turn to the U.S. and the West."Among the  strong actions the U.S. can take to deter Azerbaijan's aggression,  the letter underscores the use of the Global Magnitsky Act to  "sanction President Aliyev and other Azerbaijani officials for their  role in the military attack on and dissolution of Artsakh and  associated atrocities and human rights violations," as well as ending  all U.S.  military assistance to Azerbaijan by enforcing Section 907  of the FREEDOM Support Act.

The importance of providing strong security assistance to Armenia  will help maintain peace and stability in the region, in addition to  creating an international monitoring and peacekeeping force in  Armenia to prevent a potential invasion.

The letter concludes by stating that the U.S. should "continue  demonstrating [its] global leadership by taking strong actions to  deter threats to the free, sovereign, and democratic Republic of  Armenia."

"The Assembly applauds the Members of Congress for their relentless  efforts to bring much-needed awareness and action to not only the  Armenian people of Artsakh who have been forcibly displaced from  their homes, but to prevent a potential attack onto sovereign  Armenia," stated Assembly Congressional Relations Director Mariam  Khaloyan.

The letter was cosigned by Representatives Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Barbara  Lee (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Haley  Stevens (D-MI), Dina Titus (D-NV), Nicole Malliotakis (R- NY), Tony  C rdenas (D-CA), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and James  McGovern (D- MA).