A resolution condemning Azerbaijan's blockade of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and ongoing human rights violations.

II 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 Re- lations RESOLUTION Condemning Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh and ongoing human rights violations. Whereas Azerbaijani forces, in violation of international obli- gations 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 vitri- olic rhetoric to call for the ethnic cleansing of indigenous Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh and his regime has con- sistently 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 Ge- neva Convention; VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:00 Jun 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR244.IS SR244 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •SRES 244 IS Whereas evidence of Azerbaijani violations of international humanitarian law during the 2020 war are well-docu- mented 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 Azer- baijani 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 Arme- nian 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 Arme- nia’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 Arti- cle 6, ‘‘The Lachin Corridor (5 km wide), which will pro- vide a connection between Nagorno-Karabakh and Arme- nia 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 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:00 Jun 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR244.IS SR244 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •SRES 244 IS cargo moving along the Lachin Corridor in both direc- tions.’’; Whereas Armenia has made progress towards unblocking re- gional 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 ci- vilian 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 infra- structure such as a critical natural gas pipeline, power transmission lines, and a fixed-line internet; Whereas the Russian peacekeeping forces deployed in the re- gion have not lived up to their role as defined by the No- vember 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 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:00 Jun 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR244.IS SR244 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •SRES 244 IS on the Government of Azerbaijan ‘‘to restore free move- ment 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 un- dermined prospects for peace between Armenia and Azer- baijan’’; 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 Orga- nization 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 (1) condemns Azerbaijan’s blockade of the 2 Lachin Corridor to Nagorno Karabakh; 3 (2) encourages the United States Government 4 and international community to petition the United 5 Nations Security Council, the Organization for Secu- 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:00 Jun 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR244.IS SR244 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •SRES 244 IS rity and Co-operation in Europe, and other appro- 1 priate international bodies to investigate any and all 2 war crimes committed by Azerbaijani forces against 3 Armenian civilians; 4 (3) calls on the United States Government to 5 work swiftly with international partners, including 6 civil society organizations, regarding the deployment 7 of international observers to the Lachin Corridor 8 and Nagorno-Karabakh to explore opportunities for 9 more effective and sustainable guarantees of security 10 and peaceful development; 11 (4) calls on the President to immediately sus- 12 pend any United States new, current, or pending 13 military or security assistance to Azerbaijan, and to 14 fully enforce section 907 of the FREEDOM Support 15 Act (22 U.S.C. 5812); 16 (5) supports United States sanctions under ex- 17 isting statutory authority against Azerbaijani offi- 18 cials responsible for the blockade of Nagorno- 19 Karabakh and other well-documented human rights 20 violations committed against Armenians in the re- 21 gion, such as the targeting of civilian infrastructure 22 and the destruction of historic, cultural, and places 23 of worship of great significance to Armenians; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:00 Jun 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR244.IS SR244 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •SRES 244 IS (6) supports efforts by the United States, the 1 European Union, and the international community 2 to provide humanitarian assistance to victims of Az- 3 erbaijani aggression in Nagorno-Karabakh. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:00 Jun 08, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR244.IS SR244 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS