{"id":23996,"date":"2025-09-19T07:55:53","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T07:55:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ancnews.info\/?p=23996"},"modified":"2025-09-19T07:55:55","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T07:55:55","slug":"house-foreign-affairs-committee-calls-for-release-of-armenian-prisoners-return-of-artsakhs-armenians","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ancnews.info\/?p=23996","title":{"rendered":"House Foreign Affairs Committee Calls for Release of Armenian Prisoners, Return of Artsakh\u2019s Armenians"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Representatives Amo, Sherman, and Titus Lead Efforts to Demand Accountability for Azerbaijan and Turkey\u2019s Regional Aggression

<\/strong>The House Foreign Affairs Committee today adopted Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) backed amendments to the Fiscal Year 2026 State Department Authorization Bill (H.R.5300), directing the State Department to secure the release of Armenian prisoners of war, safeguard Armenian religious and cultural heritage, and support the right of return for the forcibly displaced Armenians of Artsakh. In a further step forward for accountability, the Committee also passed an amendment calling for a comprehensive report on Turkey\u2019s regional destabilization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDespite all the stakeholders trying to erase Artsakh, forsake hostages, and abandon our holy sites, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee \u2013 on a bipartisan basis \u2013 took a strong stand today for the return of Armenians to Artsakh, the release of Armenian hostages, and the protection of our Christian holy sites,\u201d said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. \u201cWe will continue to fight efforts to normalize genocide \u2013 to legitimize ethnic cleansing \u2013 because doing so only invites more genocide, further ethnic cleansing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI), whose amendment passed with bipartisan support in an en bloc package, highlighted the urgent issues left unaddressed by the so-called peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. \u201cArmenian religious and historic sites continue to be destroyed. Armenian prisoners of war are still held in Azerbaijan. And more than 120,000 Armenian refugees still cannot safely return to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh,\u201d stated Rep. Amo during debate. He added, \u201cMy amendment would ensure that we continue to march down the road of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan by directing the Secretary of State to advocate for the protection of Armenian heritage and religious sites, the release of the Armenian prisoners of war, [and] the safe return of Armenian refugees to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video of Rep. Amo’s remarks is available here:
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Cb7HFWI4QYo<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Committee also debated two pro-Armenian amendments offered by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA). His first proposal, Amendment #97, would have repealed the presidential waiver authority of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, restoring Congress\u2019s prohibition on U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan. \u201cSection 907 was waived by administration after administration, no matter what the Azerbaijani dictatorship did. And, it’s time for Congress to recognize that,\u201d Rep. Sherman stated. He went on to note, \u201cwe’ve seen an ethnic cleansing, a cultural genocide, and now, the destruction of the churches while hostages are still being held. I urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment.\u201d Although the amendment was narrowly defeated by a 26 to 24 vote, it received unprecedented unanimous support from committee Democrats. Republican Reps. Michael Lawler (R-NY) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), broke with Republican party-line opposition to the amendment, maintaining their longstanding commitment to enforcing prohibitions on U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Video of Rep. Sherman’s remarks is available here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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