Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission holds hearing on the situation in Artsakh

On September 6, Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the US Congress held a hearing on the humanitarian situation in Artsakh, attended by former Prosecutor General of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo, who accused US President Joe Biden of complicity in the genocide of 120,000 Christian Armenians of Artsakh.

Ocampo also noted that President Biden or Secretary Blinken may demand that Aliyev immediately and unconditionally lift the blockade of the Lachin corridor, otherwise Aliyev should be held responsible for the genocide, which, of course, will have many consequences.

Ocampo thoroughly opposed the arguments that negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan could be hindered if the policy pursued in Artsakh was characterized as genocide, given the 260-day blockade of Artsakh by Azerbaijan.

“You cannot ask for negotiations between Hitler and the people in Auschwitz. You have to stop Auschwitz and then start negotiating. If President Aliyev commits genocide and tries to deny the genocide, then the US assistance aimed at denying the genocide could be considered complicity,” Ocampo said.

Aram Hamparian, ANCA Executive Director, noted:

“Today’s hearing drew the attention of President Biden and the public to the fact that, according to the spirit and letter of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, he is involved in the genocide of Azerbaijan against 120,000 indigenous Christian Armenians in Artsakh.

The co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Congressman Chris Smith, who has made a significant contribution to the recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the United States, continued to criticize American officials for not participating in the hearings.

Smith, in particular, noted that there were two empty chairs at this meeting: the US Department of State and USAID.

Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University, and Director of Columbia University’s Artsakh Atrocities Project David Phillips also criticized the US president at the hearing. He presented Azerbaijan’s atrocities against Armenia and Artsakh and called for US sanctions against Azerbaijan and its leadership.

Phillips criticized the international community for not applying sanctions against Azerbaijan:

“The international community failed to sanction individuals who committed crimes after the wars in 2016 and 2020. Its message of failure sent communication to the government of Azerbaijan that it can act with impunity and escape repercussions for its crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and genocide.”

The Armenian National Committee of America continues to work in various directions, including the mobilization of the Armenian community of America, by exerting pressure on the executive wing of the American government and demanding to apply sanctions against Azerbaijan, restore the requirements of resolution 907 of the Freedom Support Act, and provide American assistance to Armenia and Artsakh, etc.