News - Armenian National Committee of America urges sanctions against Azerbaijan

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) is urging the Biden administration to take action against Azerbaijan for its role in the ongoing conflict in the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) region. Teresa Yerimian, the Director of Government Relations for ANCA, called for immediate measures, including sanctions and the cessation of military aid, in response to Azerbaijan's actions, which have resulted in the displacement of the indigenous Armenian Christian population of Artsakh. Yerimian's statements were made during a Capitol Hill press conference focused on Artsakh and other persecuted Christian communities. The event was hosted by Congressman Brad Sherman and organized by In Defense of Christians, For The Martyrs, and the 120,000 Reasons coalition, including ANCA. Yerimian criticized the U.S. State Department's promises to prevent Azerbaijani attacks on Artsakh, highlighting what she sees as a lack of American leadership regarding Ilham Aliyev whom she calls Saddam Hussein of this generation. Yerimian, whose own family has been affected by the conflict, expressed frustration over the disparity between the U.S. government's "never again" rhetoric and its continued supply of weapons to Azerbaijan. She also pointed out that the U.S. has not taken significant action to break the blockade of Artsakh, which has been ongoing for nine months. The lack of air transport, cessation of military aid to Baku, and sanctions against Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev have been viewed as a betrayal of moral duty and a dangerous signal to authoritarian regimes worldwide.