WASHINGTON, DC – Members of Congress commemorated the 34th anniversary of the anti-Armenian massacres in Sumgait, calling on the Azerbaijani government to end its ongoing aggression against Armenia and Artsakh and urging Azerbaijan’s immediate release of some 200 Armenian POWs illegally held over one year after the 2020 Artsakh war, reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
“We join with legislators from across America in marking these crimes and recommitting ourselves to ensuring they are never repeated,” said ANCA Government Affairs director Tereza Yerimyan. “And, that starts with stopping all US arms and aid to Azerbaijan.”
Chicago-area Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) explained, “On this 34th anniversary of the Sumgait pogroms, I want to emphasize the importance of remembering these crimes against humanity. I call on the Azerbaijani government to acknowledge that these atrocities occurred and that it seeks justice for the victims by prosecuting those who committed these horrific acts of violence. I also call upon the government of Azerbaijan to take all appropriate action to prevent further tragedies of this nature, and to respect the rights of all minorities living within its borders. I condemn Azerbaijan’s ongoing aggression against Armenia, and call on the Azerbaijani government to immediately and unconditionally release all Armenian POWs and captive civilians.”
Congressional Armenian Caucus co-chair Frank Pallone (D-NJ) concurred, noting, “I continue to stand with the Armenian people in condemning the horrific pogroms and in mourning the loss of those who were senselessly killed in Artsakh and subsequent Azeri attacks on Armenian soil. It is critical for the United States to recognize and denounce violent assaults against all civilians. If we do not condemn or punish crimes against humanity and ethnic violence, we become passive bystanders, failing to live up to the lessons of the 20th century and our pledge to uphold human rights and democratic values all over the world. If we do not take a firm stand against those who commit atrocities, it will embolden them and encourage others to commit heinous acts in the future. These lessons are especially important as we prepare to commemorate the 107th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in April.”
US House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) explained, “These are the horrific consequences when aggression and hatred grow unchecked–and it is why, whether these crimes against humanity occurred one year, thirty years, or a hundred years ago, we can never allow them to go unrecognized. More than that, it is why the United States must fully step into its role as a defender of democracy and peace around the world. We must not relent in our calls for the safe and unconditional release of the remaining Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians, for the end of US assistance to the Aliyev regime, and for stronger efforts to support democracy in Armenia and a free, independent Artsakh.”
On February 27, California Congressman Tony Cardenas (D-CA) tweeted, “Today marks the 34th anniversary of the Sumgait Pogroms when innocent Armenian civilians were tortured and massacred. As we honor their memory, we continue to call for the safe and unconditional release of all Armenian POWs illegally detained by the Aliyev regime in Azerbaijan.”
This year marks the 34th anniversary of the beginning of the peaceful movement to assert Artsakh’s legal, moral and political right to self-determination, and also – sadly – of the Azerbaijani government’s brutal response to the democratic aspiration of the Armenian people. Bloody massacres in 1988 against the Armenian population in Sumgait left hundreds dead and wounded. Similar attacks took place over the next four years in Kirovabad (1988), Baku (1990) and Maragha (1992), forcing the centuries-old Armenian population in Azerbaijan to seek safe-haven in Armenia and countries around the world.
In September of 2020, Azerbaijan took its anti-Armenian aggression to a new level, launching a sustained attack – backed by Turkey and jihadist terrorists – ethnically cleansing the indigenous population of the Republic of Artsakh.
To encourage Congressional leaders to commemorate Azerbaijan’s attacks in Sumgait, Kirovabad, Baku and Maragha and put an end to US military aid to Azerbaijan, visit anca.org/baku.
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