[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 244 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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.
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