In a landmark vote, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee has demanded that Azerbaijan release every Armenian hostage it holds, immediately and without conditions. The 44 to 7 vote on Wednesday, July 22, puts Congress on record after years of pressure from Armenian Americans, reports the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
The vote came on an amendment to H.R. 9087, backed by the Armenian National Committee of America and led by Congressional Armenian Caucus Vice Chair Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) with the support of Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL). It builds on the amendment’s favorable consideration by the Committee on June 10.
“Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 44-7 in favor of my amendment calling on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian POWs,” Sherman told ANCA following the vote. “I am proud to have put Congress on the record and will continue fighting to free Armenians unjustly and illegally held, tortured, and abused by Azerbaijan.”
“We thank Congressman Sherman, Chairman Mast, and all those who voted to adopt this much-needed and long-overdue measure,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “The Committee did the right thing. Azerbaijan’s release of Armenian hostages, the safe return of Artsakh refugees, and the withdrawal of Azerbaijani occupation forces from Armenian territory, these are preconditions for peace, non-negotiable requirements of any durable settlement, not bargaining chips for Baku to force yet more unilateral Armenian concessions.”
Joining Rep. Sherman and Chairman Mast in support of the amendment were Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI), Jim Baird (R-IN), Andy Barr (R-KY), Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Ami Bera (D-CA), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Jim Costa (D-CA), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Julie Johnson (D-TX), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), William Keating (D-MA), Young Kim (R-CA), George Latimer (D-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Brian Mast (R-FL), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), Carol Miller (R-WV), Cory Mills (R-FL), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), James Moylan (R-GU), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Aumua Amata Radewagen (R-AS), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Dina Titus (D-NV), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), and Ryan Zinke (R-MT).
Voting against the measure were Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Randy Fine (R-FL), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Scott Perry (R-PA), Keith Self (R-TX), and Joe Wilson (R-SC).
Representatives Sarah McBride (D-DE) and Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) were absent from the vote.
The amendment declares it is the sense of Congress that Azerbaijan should immediately and unconditionally release all Armenian prisoners of war and political prisoners. It cleared committee markup on June 10 with Chairman Mast’s support after Sherman agreed to modify the text by unanimous consent, striking a paragraph directing enforcement of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act.
“I would love to work with you further on this amendment and possibly dividing it up and working on this in additional ways,” Mast told Sherman during the markup. Sherman agreed, and Mast offered his backing. “Representative Sherman, I offer my support for this amendment,” Mast said. “Thank you for working with me so immediately to adjust the text of the amendment.”
Sherman had urged the committee to act on the strength of documented abuses in Azerbaijani captivity. “Given documented executions of Armenian POWs by Azerbaijani forces, including several executions which were horrifically recorded and distributed on social media, as documented by Human Rights Watch, it is vital that the United States clearly advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian POWs,” Sherman told the committee in June.
Sherman also tied the release of hostages to the administration’s regional diplomacy. “As President Trump continues his efforts to secure lasting peace in the South Caucasus, securing the release of Armenian POWs and political prisoners would be a significant step toward this achievement,” he said.
Video of the June 10 markup is available at: https://youtu.be/T7rg1cFZd5E
Azerbaijan continues to unlawfully detain 19 Armenians, seized in the aftermath of the 2020 war and Baku’s September 2023 assault on Artsakh, which emptied the region of its entire Armenian population. Among them is the former political and military leadership of Artsakh, all sentenced in Baku on charges Armenia has described as fabricated.
Former Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan, former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, former Defense Army Commander Levon Mnatsakanyan, former Deputy Commander Davit Manukyan, and former National Assembly Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan received life sentences. Former Presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan were each sentenced to 20 years. Madat Babayan and Melikset Pashayan received 19 years each, Garik Martirosyan 18 years, Davit Allahverdyan 16 years, and Erik Ghazaryan, Gurgen Stepanyan, and Vasili Beglaryan 15 years each.
While H.R. 9087 did not clear the Committee in its current form, the Sherman amendment’s adoption puts the influential Congressional panel on record in support of the immediate release of Armenian hostages. ANCA is encouraging Armenian Americans to contact their Representatives and urge continued support for the amendment’s language and full enforcement of Section 907 as consideration of the legislation moves forward.
