US House committee calls on Baku to release Armenian prisoners

The US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee has called on Azerbaijan to release Armenian prisoners held in Baku. This was reported by the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

By a vote of 44 in favor to 7 against, the committee voted to call on Azerbaijan for the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian hostages, adopting an amendment to bill H.R. 9087 (the State Department Authorization Act).

The ANCA-backed amendment was introduced by Congressman Brad Sherman, with support from Committee Chairman Brian Mast.

Aram Hamparian, ANCA Executive Director, noted that Azerbaijan’s release of Armenian prisoners, the safe return of refugees from Artsakh, and the withdrawal of Azerbaijani occupying forces from Armenian territory are non-negotiable preconditions for peace, not bargaining chips allowing Baku to extract further unilateral concessions from Armenia.