[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 132 (Thursday, July 31, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S5103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3333. Mr. SCHIFF submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2026 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle C of title XII, add the following:
SEC. 12__. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ARMENIANS IN CUSTODY OF
GOVERNMENT OF AZERBAIJAN.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Government of Azerbaijan should immediately--
(A) cease the sham trials of Armenians who are in the
custody of the Government of Azerbaijan;
(B) return all Armenian prisoners of war and captured
civilians to Armenia; and
(C) provide information on the whereabouts of Armenian
members of the military and civilians who were last seen in
the custody of the Government of Azerbaijan but whose status
is unknown;
(2) the Government of Azerbaijan should--
(A) conduct prompt and transparent investigations into
allegations of torture, extrajudicial killings, and other
abuses against prisoners of war; and
(B) hold accountable the individuals responsible;
(3) the Trump administration should engage at all levels
with authorities of the Government of Azerbaijan, including
through the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe Minsk Group process, to make clear the importance of--
(A) adhering to the obligations of Azerbaijan under the
November 9, 2020, ceasefire statement and under international
law by immediately releasing all prisoners of war and
captured civilians; and
(B) treating such prisoners and civilians humanely; and
(4) the Trump administration should review the
applicability and advisability of imposing sanctions under
the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (22
U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) on officials of the Government of
Azerbaijan responsible for the capture, continued detention,
and sham trials of Armenian prisoners of war.
______