ANCA Backs U.S. House Measures to Protect Armenian Security, Hold Azerbaijan Accountable
— Amendments Call for Release of Artsakh Leaders and Armenian Prisoners as They Approach 1,000th Day in Azerbaijani Captivity
WASHINGTON, DC – The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is backing six pro-Armenian amendments to key FY2027 national security legislation demanding the release of Armenian hostages and prisoners of war illegally held by Azerbaijan, the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from sovereign Armenian territory, the protection of Artsakh’s cultural and religious heritage, and the safe return of forcibly displaced Armenian refugees to their Artsakh homes. The measures — introduced by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Caucus Vice-Chair Brad Sherman (D-CA), and Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI) and Jim Costa (D-CA) — come as Artsakh leaders and other hostages approach their 1,000th day of illegal detention in Azerbaijani jails on June 23rd.
Four of the amendments target the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (H.R. 8800); two address the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027 (H.R. 8595). Together, they seek to restrict U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan, strengthen Armenia’s security, and require concrete accountability for Baku’s ongoing violations of Armenian sovereignty and human rights. Additional amendments may be introduced in upcoming days.
“One thousand days. One thousand long days and even darker nights since Azerbaijan illegally seized Armenian hostages — innocent men, Armenian patriots detained by Baku in defiance of international law, in defiance of basic human decency,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “These amendments send a clear message: Congress will not subsidize Azerbaijan’s abuses, aggression, desecration, and occupation with U.S. tax dollars. Not on our watch.”
Rep. Pallone’s amendment to H.R. 8800 places strict conditions on the President’s authority to waive Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, which restricts U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan. Under the proposed language, any future waiver would require the President to certify that Azerbaijan has taken demonstrable and verifiable steps toward releasing all remaining Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives, withdrawing its military forces from sovereign Armenian territory, protecting Armenian Christian cultural heritage in Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), and ceasing the destruction of Armenian property in formerly Armenian-populated areas.
Rep. Bilirakis’s amendment mirrors the ARMENIA Security Partnership Act (H.R. 6840), requiring the Secretary of Defense to certify annually that Azerbaijan has taken meaningful steps toward upholding its commitments under the Joint Declaration, withdrawing all military forces from Armenian territory, unconditionally releasing all Armenian prisoners, ceasing hostilities against Armenia, and recognizing the right of return for Armenians displaced from Artsakh. If that certification cannot be made, the amendment triggers an immediate review of U.S. security assistance to Armenia — assessing gaps in Armenia’s deterrence and self-defense capabilities — and bars the President from exercising the Section 907 waiver.
Rep. Amo’s amendment to H.R. 8800 bars the use of funds authorized under the Act to provide security assistance to Azerbaijan under Section 333 of Title 10 until the Secretary of Defense — in coordination with the Secretary of State — certifies that Azerbaijan has met a parallel set of accountability benchmarks: upholding peace commitments, withdrawing from Armenian territory, unconditionally releasing all Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives, ceasing hostilities and threats of force against Armenia, recognizing the right of return for forcibly displaced Armenians, and committing to the protection of Armenian cultural, religious, and historical heritage sites in Artsakh.
Rep. Sherman’s amendment, offered to H.R. 8800, expresses the sense of Congress that Azerbaijan must immediately and unconditionally release all Armenian prisoners of war and political prisoners, and that the United States must employ all appropriate diplomatic, economic, and legal tools — including full enforcement of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and consideration of Global Magnitsky sanctions — to secure their release.
Rep. Costa has introduced two amendments to H.R. 8595 targeting Azerbaijan’s human rights record and its systematic destruction of Armenian heritage. The first bars any funds under the Act from being provided to Azerbaijan through U.S. military or security assistance programs until the President certifies that Azerbaijan has taken demonstrable steps to ensure the unconditional release of all remaining Armenian detainees, the immediate withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from sovereign Armenian territory, the protection of Armenian cultural and civilian property in Artsakh, and recognition of the right of return for forcibly displaced Armenians. The second directs the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Secretary of State, to submit a report to Congress within 180 days assessing the damage, destruction, and continued threats to Armenian Christian religious, cultural, and historical heritage sites in Artsakh — including documented destruction of churches, monasteries, cemeteries, and cultural landmarks; actions taken by Azerbaijan to alter and obliterate the historical identity of those sites; and recommendations for U.S. policy to support their preservation, monitoring, and protection.
The House Rules Committee is set to begin reviewing the amendments over the course of the upcoming weeks. The full U.S. House will have the opportunity to vote on amendments that are ruled in order, either separately or as groups of “en bloc” amendments. The ANCA is urging Members of Congress to cosponsor these measures ahead of Rules Committee consideration.
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Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Reps. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Caucus Vice-Chair Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA), and Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI) and Jim Costa (D-CA) advance pro-Armenian amendments to FY2027 national security legislation.
