YEREVAN, JUNE 22, ARMENPRESS. The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the U.S. Congress has held a hearing on Safeguarding the People of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Congressmen and scholars speaking at the event called on the Biden Administration to pressure Azerbaijan to end the blockade of Lachin Corridor.
The U.S. cannot accept the threat of genocide or ethnic cleansing in Nagorno Karabakh, U.S. Congressman Chris Smith said.
This hearing was open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the interested public, and the media.
“Given the history of the Armenian people, no one should be surprised there is fear… only 2 years ago President Joe Biden officially recognized the Armenian genocide of 1915-1917, during which 1.5 million Armenians were deported, massacred or marched to their deaths. Those atrocities were committed over 100 years ago, but for many Armenians it feels like yesterday. That is the context in which recent actions taken by the government of Azerbaijan are being experienced and interpreted,” Congressman Jim McGovern said, adding that during the 2020 war, some 90,000 residents of Nagorno-Karabakh were forcibly displaced. Today, more than 40,000 are still displaced.
“[The pro-human rights response is] to ensure civilian protection, which means taking any and all actions we can to prevent further escalation of tensions that could lead to more war and new atrocities,” he added.
AEI’s Michael Rubin said if the U.S. State Department wishes to succeed in bringing peace to Nagorno-Karabakh, it should waive Section 907, enforce the Humanitarian Corridors Act, Apply Global Magnitsky Act Sanctions, Limit Exports of Dual Use Goods, Protect Cultural Heritage and take other actions.
The Former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John M. Evans said that it is ultimately for the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh and the Azeri authorities to decide how they are going to live together as neighbors in the future. “It [is] justified for the US to lift its waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, which prohibits the sale of military equipment to Azerbaijan. It would be well to put the brakes on Turkish and Israeli arms sales to Baku… it may be more urgent than ever to engage the Azerbaijani government in a serious discussion, at the highest levels, of the way ahead, emphasizing that “ethnic cleansing” of the Armenians of Karabakh is not acceptable,” Evans said.
Congressman Frank Pallone noted that the Azerbaijani blockade of Lachin Corridor has caused severe shortages of food, medical supplies, drinking water, energy, and other essentials – creating a dire humanitarian crisis for the 120,000 people living in Artsakh.
“As other members and witnesses have clearly stated, this is a man-made crisis purposefully created by the Aliyev regime to severely worsen the quality of life for the people of Artsakh,” Pallone said.
“I think it’s past time that the United States start better leveraging the diplomatic tools at our disposal, including sanctions, to finally bring this purposeful crisis to an end. Our country has a critical role in bringing these aggressions and expansionist behaviors to an end by helping the innocent civilians of Artsakh to live in their lands without the constant fear of attack & supporting their aspirations of self-determination as discussions between Armenia & Azerbaijan are reportedly set to resume…in Washington next week, I call on the Administration to… prevent… militaristic behavior from dictating the terms of a final agreement, as that will not lead to… lasting peace,” he added.
