[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 100 (Thursday, June 8, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2034-S2035]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    SENATE RESOLUTION 244--CONDEMNING AZERBAIJAN'S BLOCKADE OF THE 
   ARMENIANS OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH AND ONGOING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

  Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. Rubio, and Mr. Menendez) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations:

                              S. Res. 244

       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;

[[Page S2035]]

       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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