{"id":8582,"date":"2016-04-28T15:38:27","date_gmt":"2016-04-28T15:38:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ancnews.info\/?p=8582"},"modified":"2016-04-28T15:38:27","modified_gmt":"2016-04-28T15:38:27","slug":"rep-loretta-sanchez-calls-for-leahy-law-investigation-of-azerbaijani-abuses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ancnews.info\/?p=8582","title":{"rendered":"Rep. Loretta Sanchez Calls for Leahy Law Investigation of Azerbaijani Abuses"},"content":{"rendered":"

— Urges Administration to Conduct Thorough Review of U.S. Military Aid to Baku<\/strong><\/p>\n

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, called for a “Leahy Law” investigation into reports that the Azerbaijan armed forces, which annually receive millions of dollars in U.S. military aid, committed gross violations of human rights during Baku’s April 2nd offensive against Nagorno Karabakh, reported the Armenian National Committee of America<\/a> (ANCA).<\/p>\n

In remarks during an Armed Services hearing today on the National Defense Authorization Act, Rep. Sanchez noted that she has reviewed credible allegations that units of the Azerbaijani military have committed gross violations of human rights. \u201cI believe that these blatant human rights violations warrant action on our part to direct our Secretary of Defense to work with our Secretary of State on an investigation on possible human rights violations. And I believe the U.S. should conduct an investigation on whether the \u2018Leahy Law\u2019 is being violated by the Azerbaijani military,\u201d stated Rep. Sanchez. \u201cWe, the United States, we are a leader on human rights and we cannot afford to support militaries that commit human rights violations.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her remarks, Rep. Sanchez cited sharp criticism of Azerbaijan’s human rights record and called attention to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev’s pardon and praise for Ramil Safarov, who axe-murdered an Armenian officer while he slept during a NATO peace-keeping training program in Hungary. Rep. Sanchez\u2019s statement accompanied an amendment that she submitted, but later withdrew for procedural purposes.<\/p>\n

Video of Rep. Sanchez\u2019s remarks is available on the ANCA YouTube channel at:<\/p>\n