[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 244 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 244
Condemning Azerbaijan's blockade of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh
and ongoing human rights violations.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 8, 2023
Mr. Padilla (for himself, Mr. Rubio, and Mr. Menendez) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Condemning Azerbaijan's blockade of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh
and ongoing human rights violations.
Whereas Azerbaijani forces, in violation of international obligations to resolve
disputes with Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh peacefully, conducted a
large-scale, unprovoked invasion of Nagorno-Karabakh in October 2020;
Whereas President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan has used vitriolic rhetoric to call
for the ethnic cleansing of indigenous Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh and
his regime has consistently violated important international
humanitarian legal agreements during the 2020 war and up until the
present date, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the
United Nations Charter, and the Geneva Convention;
Whereas evidence of Azerbaijani violations of international humanitarian law
during the 2020 war are well-documented by reputable nongovernmental
organizations, such as Columbia University's Institute for the Study of
Human Rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the
International Committee of the Red Cross;
Whereas mass human rights violations committed by Azerbaijani forces in the 2020
war included rocket strikes on civilian infrastructure like medical
facilities and schools, the decapitation of civilians, the use of white
phosphorus munitions, the torture and extrajudicial killing of Armenian
prisoners of war, the hiring of foreign mercenaries, and the targeting
of historic monuments, works of art, and places of worship with great
cultural and spiritual significance to Armenians;
Whereas, on September 13, 2022, Azerbaijani forces mounted an illegal and
unprovoked assault on Armenian territory, including the cities of
Vardenis, Sotk, Artanish, Ishkhanasar, Goris, and Kapan;
Whereas Azerbaijan's attack on Armenia, which was launched on September 13,
2022, is a flagrant violation of Armenia's sovereignty and territorial
integrity, and a violation of international law;
Whereas the November 9, 2020, ceasefire statement ending the 2020 war signed by
Azerbaijan clearly states in Article 6, ``The Lachin Corridor (5 km
wide), which will provide a connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and
Armenia while not passing through the territory of Shusha, shall remain
under the control of the Russian Federation peacemaking forces . . . The
Republic of Azerbaijan shall guarantee the security of persons,
vehicles, and cargo moving along the Lachin Corridor in both
directions.'';
Whereas Armenia has made progress towards unblocking regional rail connections,
including rail lines connecting Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan, in accordance
with the terms of the 2020 ceasefire statement;
Whereas, on December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan created a man-made humanitarian crisis
by implementing an extended blockade of the Lachin Corridor under the
guise of a civilian protest;
Whereas the Lachin Corridor serves as a vital lifeline between Nagorno-Karabakh
and the Republic of Armenia, and its blockade prevents food, critical
medical supplies, and other essentials from reaching 120,000 people;
Whereas Azerbaijan has taken dangerous, escalatory steps that have severely
worsened the quality of life for the people living in Nagorno-Karabakh,
including 30,000 children, 20,000 elderly individuals, and 9,000 people
with disabilities, through the sabotage of civilian infrastructure such
as a critical natural gas pipeline, power transmission lines, and a
fixed-line internet;
Whereas the Russian peacekeeping forces deployed in the region have not lived up
to their role as defined by the November 9, 2020, statement, doing
little to disperse Azerbaijanis blocking the Lachin Corridor, deescalate
the situation, or prevent other Azerbaijani aggressions against the
Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh;
Whereas the Department of State has warned, ``Closure of the Lachin Corridor has
severe humanitarian implications and sets back the peace process'' and
has publicly called on the Government of Azerbaijan ``to restore free
movement through the corridor'';
Whereas Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Azerbaijan's President
Ilham Aliyev on January 23, 2023, ``to urge an immediate reopening of
the Lachin corridor to commercial traffic'' and ``underscored that the
risk of a humanitarian crisis in the Lachin corridor undermined
prospects for peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan'';
Whereas, on February 18, 2023, the International Court of Justice ordered
Azerbaijan ``to ensure the unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles, and
cargo along the Lachin Corridor'';
Whereas the United States serves as a co-chair of the Organization for Security
and Co-operation in Europe's Minsk Group, along with France and the
Russian Federation, and is committed to sustainable, long-term peace in
the region; and
Whereas the United States and the international community have not been able to
undertake any direct humanitarian support or relief efforts to address
the needs of Armenian victims in Nagorno-Karabakh since the deadly
invasion by Azerbaijani forces in October 2020: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) condemns Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor
to Nagorno Karabakh;
(2) encourages the United States Government and
international community to petition the United Nations Security
Council, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe, and other appropriate international bodies to
investigate any and all war crimes committed by Azerbaijani
forces against Armenian civilians;
(3) calls on the United States Government to work swiftly
with international partners, including civil society
organizations, regarding the deployment of international
observers to the Lachin Corridor and Nagorno-Karabakh to
explore opportunities for more effective and sustainable
guarantees of security and peaceful development;
(4) calls on the President to immediately suspend any
United States new, current, or pending military or security
assistance to Azerbaijan, and to fully enforce section 907 of
the FREEDOM Support Act (22 U.S.C. 5812);
(5) supports United States sanctions under existing
statutory authority against Azerbaijani officials responsible
for the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh and other well-documented
human rights violations committed against Armenians in the
region, such as the targeting of civilian infrastructure and
the destruction of historic, cultural, and places of worship of
great significance to Armenians; and
(6) supports efforts by the United States, the European
Union, and the international community to provide humanitarian
assistance to victims of Azerbaijani aggression in Nagorno-
Karabakh.
<all>