Hamparian: White House is Bankrolling Aliyev Dictatorship as It Holds Armenian Hostages, Blocks Artsakh Return<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is condemning the Trump Administration’s signal of intent to extend a waiver of Section 907 restrictions on U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan, clearing the way for continued U.S. aid to Baku.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“President Trump continues to make a mockery of his America First promise by greenlighting foreign aid to Azerbaijan \u2014 shipping U.S. tax dollars to an oil-rich, genocidal dictatorship. A regime that holds Armenian hostages, occupies Armenian territory, bulldozes Christian churches, and blocks the return of refugees to Artsakh,\u201d stated ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Azerbaijan’s ruling Aliyev family \u2014 a clan with net worth in the tens of billions of dollars \u2014 neither needs nor deserves the generosity of the American people,” concluded Hamparian.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Senior Bureau Official for Legislative Affairs at the State Department transmitted the determination, titled “Extension of Section 907 Waiver,” to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. It was printed in the Congressional Record on July 28th (Vol. 172, No. 123, EC-4220) under Executive and Other Communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act has restricted U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan since 1992, in response to its aggression against Armenia and Artsakh. A 2002 amendment gave the President annual waiver authority, conditioned on reporting requirements that successive administrations have failed to meet. The ANCA has long opposed the continuous reauthorization of this waiver, warning that it emboldens Azerbaijan’s regime by signaling there will be no consequence for its conduct \u2014 including the genocidal ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s Armenian population in 2023 and its continued illegal imprisonment of Armenian hostages, occupation of Armenian territory, and destruction of Armenian cultural heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ANCA is backing the ARMENIA Security Partnership Act (H.R.6840), bipartisan legislation introduced by Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Frank Pallone (D-NJ), which would prohibit the President from reauthorizing the Section 907 waiver unless Azerbaijan withdraws its forces from Armenian territory, releases all Armenian hostages, ends hostilities toward Armenia, and recognizes the right of return for Armenians forcibly displaced from Artsakh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n