Local Armenians Worry & Cong. Auchincloss Signs Letter of Support

Local members of the Armenian community have been alarmed by the ending of an uneasy peace in Nagorno-Karabakh and indications of ethnic cleansing.

Congressional pressure on the Biden administration to end U.S. complicity in Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s 120,000 indigenous Armenian Christians increased this week with 75 U.S. House members, including Franklin's 4th District Congresseman Jake Auchincloss, calling on the administration to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan and enforce Section 907 restrictions on U.S. military aid to the Aliyev government, according to the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

“President Biden materially enabled and morally emboldened Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev to genocide Artsakh. He repeatedly waived Section 907, sending military aid to Azerbaijan; both-sided genocide, knowing Azerbaijan was the aggressor; operated zero U.S. aid programs in Artsakh for the past three years; and made no mention of Azerbaijan’s aggression – as it was happening – during his U.N. General Assembly speech,” said Aram Hamparian, executive director of the ANCA. “This was not some innocent error of ignorance, indifference or inaction – but rather the result of President Biden – as a matter of U.S. policy developed and implemented over multiple years and over broad-based congressional objections – standing on the wrong side of the Artsakh genocide.”

In this latest congressional letter, led by Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), a bipartisan group of lawmakers condemned Azerbaijan’s “unprovoked military offensive” and “cruel nine-month blockade” of Artsakh, which “left the region’s Armenian population with no option but to flee, fearing for their future under Azerbaijan’s brutal authoritarian rule.” The U.S. representatives stated, “It is clear that our country’s response to this crisis has not been commensurate with the scale of the devastation. We believe the United States must make clear to Azerbaijan that its unprovoked aggression against Artsakh is unacceptable and will be met with an appropriate response.”

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The text of the letter is reproduced below.

October 2, 2023 

The Honorable Joseph R. Biden Jr., 

President of the United States 

The White House 

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Biden, 

On September 19th Azerbaijan launched an unprovoked military offensive on Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) in an attempt to subjugate the region’s ethnically Armenian population by force.

Following a 24-hour assault that saw the displacement of several thousand civilians and more than 200 deaths, Artsakh’s authorities agreed to disarm to avoid further bloodshed. Azerbaijan’s military offensive is the culmination of a cruel nine-month blockade of Artsakh that has deprived the region’s 120,000 civilians, including 30,000 children, of food, medicine, and other necessities.

In light of the unfolding mass displacement of Artsakh’s population, it is clear that our country’s response to this crisis has not been commensurate with the scale of the devastation. We believe the United States must make clear to Azerbaijan that its unprovoked aggression against Artsakh is unacceptable and will be met with an appropriate response.

Azerbaijan’s assault and subjugation of Artsakh has left the region’s Armenian population with no option but to flee, fearing for their future under Azerbaijan’s brutal authoritarian rule. As we write to you, over 100,000 individuals, more than 80 percent of the region’s population, have fled to Armenia as refugees. We are also disturbed by reports that Azerbaijani authorities are detaining members of Artsakh’s political leadership, preventing them from evacuating to safety. Prior to Azerbaijan’s military assault, several leading scholars on atrocities prevention sounded the alarm of genocide, including former United Nations genocide expert, Juan Mendez, and former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo. Despite these credible warnings of impending ethnic cleansing, this preventable humanitarian disaster is unfolding on our watch. The U.S. has a moral obligation to do whatever is necessary to bring an end to this needless suffering and ensure Azerbaijan faces consequences for engaging in ethnic cleansing. To this end, we respectfully request that your administration take the following actions:

1. Enforce Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, a provision of current law that prohibits U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan, and impose targeted sanctions on Azerbaijani officials under the Global Magnitsky Act to make clear to Azerbaijan that its aggression will not be tolerated.

2. Provide robust humanitarian assistance to support Artsakh’s displaced population and rally the international community to do the same by leading the establishment of an international humanitarian relief operation.

3. Take all actions necessary to ensure the safe evacuation of Artsakh’s population to Armenia, including through the immediate deployment of observers to the Lachin Corridor, as well as direct engagement with Azerbaijani authorities to secure amnesty for Artsakh’s local leaders. Thank you in advance for your consideration of our requests. We look forward to your administration taking decisive action to alleviate the suffering of the people of Artsakh.

Most gratefully (signed by 75 representatives)