Congressmen call for Azerbaijan’s immediate release of POWs during Capitol Hill observance of Armenian Genocide

US Congressional leaders joined with Armenian Americans and allies from across the country on April 2nd for the annual Capitol Hill observance of the Armenian Genocide, issuing bipartisan calls for Azerbaijan’s immediate release of Armenian prisoners, the right of return for displaced Nagorno-Karabakh [Artsakh] Armenians, and U.S. sanctions on both the Aliyev and Erdogan regimes for war crimes and genocidal ethnic cleansing, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

The solemn remembrance – titled “Reversing the 2023 Artsakh Genocide | Remembering the 1915-23 Armenian Genocide,” held in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center’s HVC-215 room, featured powerful testimony and policy demands to hold Turkey and Azerbaijan accountable for their genocidal crimes against the Armenian nation.

“The crime did not end in 1915 — it continues today,” stated ANCA Chairman George Aghjayan, who offered a poignant personal reflection on genocide survival, sharing the story of his great-aunt, who witnessed the beheading of her father and spent six years enslaved before being rescued. Then, recalling his 2020 trip to Artsakh just days after the war, he described seeing the same fear and devastation on the faces of displaced children that his grandmother had once carried. “These are not separate events. They are tied together,” he stressed. “What Armenians have always wanted is to live in peace — but that peace must be just, and it must be durable. As Armenian Americans, we demand action.”

Hosted by the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues with the support of the ANCA and the Armenian Assembly, the Capitol Hill program served as the capstone to two days of intensive grassroots advocacy organized by the ANCA Eastern Region and Western Region. As part of ANCA Advocacy Days, hundreds of activists from across the U.S. met with their Senators and Representatives on April 1st and 2nd to advance pro-Armenian legislative priorities.

A dozen U.S. Senate and House members shared remarks and offered support for the event including Senators Cory Booker (NJ), Andy Kim (NJ), Ed Markey (MA), and Adam Schiff (CA), Congressional Armenian Caucus Founding Co-Chair Frank Pallone (NJ) and Vice Chair Brad Sherman (CA) and Representatives Gabe Amo (RI), Herb Conaway (NJ), Jim Costa (CA), Laura Friedman (CA), George Latimer (NY), and Jim McGovern (MA).

Sen. Ed Markey reaffirmed his long-standing support for the Armenian American community, condemning Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and urging immediate U.S. action to defend Armenian rights and sovereignty. “Azerbaijani forces have committed documented war crimes… These crimes demand accountability,” stated Sen. Markey, as he announced a letter to the State Department urging Global Magnitsky sanctions on Azerbaijani officials responsible for atrocities. He also called for the release of Armenian POWs, noting Azerbaijan’s recent expulsion of the International Committee of the Red Cross and ongoing violations of international law. “The United States must use every diplomatic and economic tool at its disposal to secure the immediate release of these detainees,” he urged. Recounting his recent trip to Baku with Rep. Frank Pallone to participate in the United Nations COP-29 summit, Markey described the heightened security required during their visit — including government-assigned bodyguards who insisted on sweeping their hotel rooms for threats — as a stark reflection of the regime’s oppressive environment. “We went to deliver the message to the Azerbaijani government that Armenia and its rights must be protected,” he said. Concluding on a note of determined solidarity, he pledged: “We must ensure a resolution that guarantees Armenian sovereignty, the release of prisoners, and the right of return for the people of Artsakh.”

Sen. Adam Schiff delivered a stirring message centered on historical justice, cultural memory, and urgent policy action. He chronicled the Armenian Genocide through the story of Leo Kolegian, a survivor who rebuilt his life in California, and tied that history directly to modern-day ethnic cleansing in Artsakh. “Turkey’s denial has become a genocide on top of a genocide… an erasure of memory and of history,” stated Sen. Schiff. He condemned Azerbaijan’s 2023 assault and blockade, describing how “the Aliyev regime took control of Artsakh… and ethically cleansed the indigenous Armenian population.” Schiff also announced that he had submitted a provision to this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) directing the U.S. to prioritize securing the release of Armenian POWs and missing persons. “Congress must remain focused on those being held and those still missing… I am standing firm, and you have my word, that I will always stand firm alongside the Armenian community.”

Sen. Andy Kim, newly elected to the U.S. Senate, offered heartfelt remarks rooted in his academic and diplomatic background focused on preventing genocide and mass atrocities. A former U.S. State Department official and national security expert, Kim emphasized that the Armenian Genocide is not just a historical tragedy, but a living lesson in preventing future atrocities. “I actually dedicated my entire academic work, my entire PhD dissertation to genocides and mass atrocities throughout history,” stated Sen. Kim. “I stand before you to pay tribute and recognize the past, but also to stand alongside you going forward to make sure that we have to be able to deliver for your kids and your grandkids a better peaceful world that you and your families deserve.”

Rep. Frank Pallone offered a sweeping assessment of U.S. policy challenges and reiterated bipartisan support for Armenian rights and regional security. He condemned Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and expressed grave concern about the broader goals of Armenia’s adversaries. “Our fear is that Azerbaijan and Turkey—Armenia’s neighbors who are not friends—have an ultimate goal to just eliminate the Republic of Armenia itself,” warned Rep. Pallone. He reaffirmed support for international pressure to release Armenian political prisoners and restore the right of return for Artsakh Armenians. “We still believe that Artsakh should be its own Armenian Republic… We still believe people should have the right to return,” stated Pallone. He concluded by urging deeper U.S.-Armenia ties, including military assistance: “We have to arm Armenia… to make them strong militarily as well as economically.”