ArmInfo. Los Angeles, CA - LACDP Elected Member and DSCC Member Elen Asatryan has introduced a resolution, which will be considered at the California Democratic Convention taking place from April 29 through May 2, condemning Turkey and Azerbaijan for the war crimes they committed over the course of 44 days after their attack on the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) and Armenia, which began on September 27, 2020.
According to the message, the resolution also urges Congress and the Biden Administration to sanction Turkey and Azerbaijan and demand that Azerbaijani authorities immediately release all Armenian POWS and captured civilians. Furthermore, it also calls on the California Public Employees' Retirement System and the State Teachers' Retirement System to take socially responsible steps and divest all public employee retirement funds from investment vehicles issued by Turkey and Azerbaijan until Turkey recognizes the Armenian Genocide of 1915 - 1923, and until the people of Artsakh are afforded the opportunity of self-determination on their indigenous lands. "Authoring this resolution is deeply personal because Armenian-Americans are among the diverse constituents I am proud to represent in my capacity as an elected member of Los Angeles County's Democratic Party and Democratic State Central Committee. It is our duty and our moral responsibility as an organization to take a firm stand against human rights violations, to show solidarity in this moment of pain, to amplify the voices of our minority communities against the voices of oppression, and to uphold the basic values of life, liberty, and pursuit of a dignified existence. This is a humanitarian crisis that demands bold leadership and our immediate attention," emphasized Asatryan.
The situation is dire, lives are at stake with Armenian POWs and civilian hostages still being held captive and continuous threats from the Dictators Erdogan and Alliev to finish their mission of annihilating the Armenian people. Turkey and Azerbaijan must be held accountable not only for the war crimes they continue to commit to date, but for the inappropriate allocation of our American tax dollars towards these war crimes," "If we don't take a strong stance now, then nothing sets us apart from the international community in 1915 who stood by and watched the Armenian Genocide unfold- and did nothing to stop it. I am hopeful that my peers and fellow leaders within the Democratic Party will reflect on the critical importance of this time- sensitive resolution and will shepherd its passage at the state convention, and thank all the elected officials, sponsors, and organizations who have helped bring the resolution to this point," she added.
It should also be noted that at the end of last week, the second protest action of the all-Armenian initiative "Freedom to Armenian prisoners of war " was held in various countries of the world, demanding the immediate return of Armenian citizens illegally held captive in Azerbaijan. The initiative was formed in the Diaspora, and within its framework in about 30 cities in 13 countries of the world (Los Angeles, New York, Rome, Zagreb, Berlin, The Hague, Geneva, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Montreal, etc.), rallies were held demanding the immediate release of Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijan. Representatives of local authorities and human rights organizations also took part in the rallies.