Congressional Armenian Caucus leaders call for release of Armenian prisoners illegally held in Azerbaijan

Congressional Armenian Caucus leaders have called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz to secure the release of Armenian prisoners illegally held in Azerbaijan and strengthen US policy safeguarding Armenia’s sovereignty and security as part of expanded engagement in the South Caucasus, the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) reports.

The bipartisan letter, led by Congressional Armenian Caucus leaders Frank Pallone (D-NJ), David Valadao (R-CA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), comes in the wake of the recent Armenia-Azerbaijan finalization of the draft peace agreement, after which the process has largely stalled due to subsequent Azerbaijani add-ons and preconditions demanding changes in the Armenian Constitution and the dismantling of the OSCE Minsk Group.

The letter sent to Rubio and Waltz urges decisive American leadership in deterring Azerbaijani aggression and addressing obstacles to a just and lasting peace in the South Caucasus.

In their letter, the lawmakers emphasized the need for immediate and concrete US engagement to prevent backsliding in the peace process and to push for the release of Armenian captives.

“We also strongly agree with Secretary Rubio’s statement that ‘now is the time to commit to peace’ in the South Caucasus and NSA Waltz’s call to ‘finalize this peace deal now, release the prisoners, and work together to make the region more secure and prosperous,’” wrote the Representatives.