House Foreign Affairs Committee Calls for Azerbaijan’s Immediate Release of Armenian Hostages

WASHINGTON, DC – The House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 44 to 7 on July 22, to call on Azerbaijan to immediately and unconditionally release all Armenian hostages, adopting an amendment to H.R. 9086, the House Foreign Service Act. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)-backed amendment, led by Congressional Armenian Caucus Vice Chair Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) with the support of Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL), builds on its favorable consideration by the Committee on June 10.

“Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 44-7 in favor of my amendment calling on Azerbaijan to immediately release all Armenian POWs,” Sherman told ANCA following the vote. “I am proud to have put Congress on the record and will continue fighting to free Armenians unjustly and illegally held, tortured, and abused by Azerbaijan.”

“We thank Congressman Sherman, Chairman Mast, and all those who voted to adopt this much-needed and long-overdue measure,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “The Committee did the right thing. Azerbaijan’s release of Armenian hostages, the safe return of Artsakh refugees, and the withdrawal of Azerbaijani occupation forces from Armenian territory – these are preconditions for peace, non-negotiable requirements of any durable settlement – not bargaining chips for Baku to force yet more unilateral Armenian concessions.”

Joining Rep. Sherman and Chairman Mast in support of the amendment were Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI), Jim Baird (R-IN), Andy Barr (R-KY), Michael Baumgartner (R-WA), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Ami Bera (D-CA), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Jim Costa (D-CA), Warren Davidson (R-OH), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Julie Johnson (D-TX), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), William Keating (D-MA), Young Kim (R-CA), George Latimer (D-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Brian Mast (R-FL), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), Carol Miller (R-WV), Cory Mills (R-FL), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), James Moylan (R-GU), Johnny Olszewski (D-MD), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Aumua Amata Radewagen (R-AS), Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Dina Titus (D-NV), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), and Ryan Zinke (R-MT).

Voting against the measure were Representatives Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Randy Fine (R-FL), Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Scott Perry (R-PA), Keith Self (R-TX), and Joe Wilson (R-SC).

Representatives Sarah McBride (D-DE) and Ryan Mackenzie (R-PA) were absent from the vote.

The amendment declares it is the sense of Congress that Azerbaijan should immediately and unconditionally release all Armenian prisoners of war and political prisoners. It cleared committee markup on June 10 with Chairman Mast’s support after Sherman agreed to modify the text by unanimous consent, striking a paragraph directing enforcement of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act. “I would love to work with you further on this amendment and possibly dividing it up and working on this in additional ways,” Mast told Sherman during the markup. Sherman agreed, and Mast offered his backing. “Representative Sherman, I offer my support for this amendment,” Mast said. “Thank you for working with me so immediately to adjust the text of the amendment.”

Sherman had urged the committee to act on the strength of documented abuses in Azerbaijani captivity. “Given documented executions of Armenian POWs by Azerbaijani forces, including several executions which were horrifically recorded and distributed on social media, as documented by Human Rights Watch, it is vital that the United States clearly advocate for the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian POWs,” Sherman told the committee in June.

Sherman also tied the release of hostages to the administration’s regional diplomacy. “As President Trump continues his efforts to secure lasting peace in the South Caucasus, securing the release of Armenian POWs and political prisoners would be a significant step toward this achievement,” he said.

Video of the June 10 markup is available at: https://youtu.be/T7rg1cFZd5E

While H.R. 9086 did not clear the Committee in its current form, the Sherman amendment’s adoption puts the influential Congressional panel on record in support of the immediate release of Armenian hostages. Armenian Americans are encouraged to contact their Representatives and urge continued support for the amendment’s language and full enforcement of Section 907 as consideration of the legislation moves forward.