96 US Senate and House lawmakers call for sanctions against Aliyev government for human rights violations in Artsakh

Ninety-six members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives have sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, calling for sanctions against Azerbaijani officials responsible for the blockade of the Lachin corridor and the attack on Artsakh.

“We call on the State Department and the Ministry of Finance to immediately exercise discretionary powers in accordance with the Magnitsky Global Law on Responsibility for Human Rights (the Magnitsky Global Law, Section XII, P.L. 114-328, Subtitle F, 22 USC §10101 and subsequent) in relation to the Government of Azerbaijan and persons involved in the military attacks on Nagorno-Karabakh and the brutal the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh. These actions constitute a gross violation of human rights and the incitement of violent conflict, both of which are a direct attack on American values and interests. The authors of these human rights violations should be brought to justice by the United States,” they wrote.

The authors of the letter briefed on the extremely difficult situation in Artsakh, developed as a result of the blockade of the Lachin corridor since December 12, 2022, the subsequent attack and explosion, which aggravated the already existing crisis.

“Statements from the government of Azerbaijan about ‘re-integration’ raise the specter of ethnic cleansing and cultural genocide,” the authors of the letter noted.

In conclusion, they stressed that the United States is a world leader on international human rights and must continue to serve as a mediating force and supporter of peace in the region.

“In order to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its actions in blockading and assaulting Nagorno-Karabakh, we respectfully request that your departments exercise existing authorities under the Global Magnitsky Act to impose targeted sanctions on the individuals in the Aliyev government that are responsible for or participated in the violation of human rights in Nagorno-Karabakh,” they concluded.