News - US senators: US should immediately halt all security assistance to Azerbaijan

U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Marco Rubio issued a joint statement condemning Azerbaijan’s unprovoked and unjustified military incursion in the South Caucasus against Armenians under the false pretext of leading an ‘anti-terrorist operation’ and in violation of its own ceasefire obligations. “Azerbaijan’s regime is leading an unprovoked attack against Armenian civilians in Nagorno-Karabakh—a grave escalation in the steps the regime has taken to ethnically cleanse Armenians in the region. The Biden Administration, and our international allies, must forcefully condemn this military aggression and demand a peaceful resolution that puts a stop to these human rights violations. The United States should immediately halt all security assistance to Azerbaijan, as demanded under section 907 of the Freedom Support Act." Last month, Padilla and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez sent a letter to United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, urging her to introduce a UN resolution calling for an immediate end to Azerbaijan’s eight-month blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, including allowing unrestricted humanitarian access to Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh. Padilla, Menendez, and Rubio also introduced a bipartisan Senate resolution earlier this year condemning the government of Azerbaijan for its blockade of the Lachin Corridor and urging the United States to take immediate steps to end the ongoing humanitarian crisis. As previously reported by NEWS.am, Azerbaijan's Armed Forces initiated artillery fire along the entire line of contact in Nagorno Karabakh on September 19, starting at 1 p.m., in an attempt to breach the defense line of the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Forces. Presently, Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno Karabakh, and other settlements are enduring heavy shelling. Gegham Stepanyan, the Human Rights Defender of Nagorno Karabakh, has documented multiple casualties and injuries among civilians, including children. As of September 20, fighting continues along the contact line of Nagorno Karabakh with varying degrees of intensity. Units of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces are employing various weapons not only to maintain their positional advance but also to target civilian infrastructure.