Thirty-six U.S. Representatives Ask Secretary of State Rubio to Ramp up Pressure on Azerbaijan to Release Armenian POWs and Hostages
Thirty-six U.S. Representatives – led by Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) – have called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to impose Global Magnitsky sanctions on Azerbaijani officials responsible for grave human rights abuses against Armenians, including the illegal detention, abuse, and sham trials of Armenian prisoners of war and former Artsakh leaders. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) welcomed the Congressional letter as a bipartisan step toward accountability and justice for the Armenian people of Artsakh.
“This bipartisan letter—led by Representatives Dina Titus and Chris Smith—sends a powerful message that America must stand on the side of justice and accountability,” stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “We thank all the Members of Congress who signed this letter for demanding immediate Magnitsky sanctions against Azerbaijani officials involved in war crimes and the unlawful detention of Armenian political leaders and POWs. Durable peace in the region requires the release of all illegally detained Armenians, the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from Armenian territory, and, of course, support for the right of Artsakh Armenians to collectively return to their ancestral homes with dignity and security.”
The bipartisan letter urges the State Department to “immediately exercise your authority to impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on Azerbaijani officials responsible for the perpetration of grave human rights abuses and war crimes against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
The signatories emphasized that “to this day, Azerbaijan continues to illegally detain at least 23 known Armenian prisoners of war captured during and following the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh,” warning that “these political hostages, including former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, have been subject to abuse and degrading treatment in custody.”
They further stressed the broader regional implications of Azerbaijani impunity, writing: “The sham trials of high-profile Armenian figures undermine confidence-building measures necessary for a sustainable peace. Releasing political prisoners and prisoners of war is a critical step toward achieving a just and lasting resolution.”
The Members concluded with a call for immediate U.S. action: “We believe Magnitsky Sanctions are a critical tool to leverage the release of POWs and deter further aggression against Armenia.”
Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) were joined by thirty-four U.S. House Members in co-signing the letter to Secretary Rubio, including Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Don Beyer (D-VA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Danny Davis (D-IL), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Laura Friedman (D-CA), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Jimmy Gomez (D-CA), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Tom Kean (R-NJ), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), John Larson (D-CT), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Robert Menendez, Jr. (D-NJ), Grace Meng (D-NY), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), and David Valadao (R-CA).
Rep. Titus has been outspoken in calling for U.S. leadership in imposing sanctions on Azerbaijani officials for grave human rights abuses. In April 2024, she introduced the bipartisan Azerbaijan Sanctions Review Act of 2024 (H.R.8141) with Rep. Gus Bilirakis, requiring the Biden Administration to determine whether over 40 Azerbaijani officials should be sanctioned under the Global Magnitsky Act and Section 7031 of the State and Foreign Operations Act. At the time, Rep. Titus stated: “We cannot mince words when talking about what ensued: ethnic cleansing with genocidal intent… It’s time to impose costs on President Aliyev and his supporters for their actions instead of rewarding them with arms deals.”
Rep. Chris Smith – who authored the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act – has similarly championed justice for the Armenian people, introducing a resolution (H.Res.1327) in June 2024 with Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), condemning Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and calling for the release of all Armenian political prisoners, and the safe return of displaced Armenians to their historic homeland. “The horrific atrocities and ethnic cleansing perpetrated by Azerbaijan…does not erase the Armenians’ right to live in their ancient homeland in peace and freedom,” stated Rep. Smith. As co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Rep. Smith has used his platform to convene several hearings on the rights of Artsakh’s Armenians and the status of Armenian hostages and prisoners of war.
The full text of the letter is provided below and available online here:
Text of Titus-Smith Letter to Secretary of State Rubio
April 11, 2025
The Honorable Marco Rubio
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Rubio,
In light of Azerbaijan’s ongoing detention and abuse of Armenian prisoners of war and political captives, we are writing to urge you to immediately exercise your authority to impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on Azerbaijani officials responsible for the perpetration of grave human rights abuses and war crimes against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Over a year has passed since Azerbaijan’s blockade and military assault on Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) forcibly displaced the region’s 120,000 Christian Armenians in what has been characterized by international legal experts as ethnic cleansing. Azerbaijan’s assault on the region in September 2023 marked the culmination of a pattern of aggression following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War during which Azerbaijan perpetrated egregious war crimes, including the summary execution of civilians; the destruction of schools, homes, and hospitals; the deliberate targeting of churches and other Armenian Christian heritage sites; and the arbitrary detention of dozens of Armenian prisoners of war.
To this day, Azerbaijan continues to illegally detain at least 23 known Armenian prisoners of war captured during and following the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh. Having faced no accountability for its continued detention of Armenian prisoners, Azerbaijan has recently commenced politically motivated trials under false pretenses, targeting captives based on their Armenian identity. Among those detained are former presidents, foreign ministers, and parliamentary leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh’s government. Reports further indicate that these political hostages, including former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, have been subject to abuse and degrading treatment in custody, while secrecy and irregularities surrounding proceedings in Baku’s military court cast significant doubt over the fairness and legitimacy of these proceedings. In light of the Azerbaijani government’s recent decision to order the removal of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the only organization authorized to visit Armenian detainees, we are deeply concerned about the safety and security of Armenian captives.
The sham trials of high-profile Armenian figures undermine confidence-building measures necessary for a sustainable peace. Releasing political prisoners and prisoners of war is a critical step toward achieving a just and lasting resolution. Therefore, we urge you to take the following actions in your engagements with the Government of Azerbaijan:
— Demand the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian political prisoners in all future engagements with the Government of Azerbaijan;
— Press Azerbaijani authorities to allow international observers and independent media outlets to monitor proceedings against Armenian political figures; and
— Impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act on Azerbaijan officials responsible for gross human rights violations against Armenian prisoners.
While we are hopeful that the conclusion of negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan will usher a more peaceful future for the region, we remain deeply concerned about Azerbaijan’s participation in hostage diplomacy and efforts to impose unreasonable preconditions on the Armenian government. Furthermore, given reports that the proposed agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan does not include any provision regarding the release of Armenian prisoners, we believe Magnitsky Sanctions are a critical tool to leverage the release of POWs and deter further aggression against Armenia.
Continued inaction in the face of Azerbaijan’s authoritarian aggression will have grave ramifications for U.S. credibility throughout the region, particularly as Armenia seeks to strengthen its ties with the West. As such, we believe it is a moral and strategic imperative for the U.S. to take bold action to compel Azerbaijan to release unjustly detained Armenian prisoners and ensure regional peace is predicated on accountability, justice, and the fundamental right of return for Nagorno-Karabakh’s displaced Armenian population.
We look forward to your response and stand ready to work with you to ensure that U.S. policy aligns with our country’s commitment to justice and stability in the region.