Friday, February 2 2024 11:13

ArmInfo. Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Bill Cassidy (R- LA) have introduced a bipartisan  resolution requesting a report on Azerbaijan's human rights practices pursuant to Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act.

The resolution requests information from the State Department on  Azerbaijan's human rights abuses both within the country, as well as  during its sustained military assault against Nagorno-Karabakh  (Artsakh) that last year resulted in the ethnic cleansing of its  entire indigenous Armenian population. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL),  Gary Peters (D-MI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse  (D-RI), Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Peter Welch (D-VT) have joined as  original cosponsors. 

"The need to hold Azerbaijan's government accountable and forge a  peaceful path forward is long overdue," said Senator Markey.  "Military action has never been the solution to peace and stability  in Nagorno-Karabakh. This resolution puts pressure on Azerbaijan's  government to uphold human rights and stop committing crimes against  ethnic Armenians in the region. We must protect the will, the rights,  and the bedrock freedoms of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh."

    "Azerbaijan has already been bulldozing holy sites and starving  Armenian communities. This is the type of country the Biden  administration wants supplying LNG to Europe instead of Louisiana  natural gas?" said Dr. Cassidy.

    A House version of the 502B(c) request on Azerbaijan - H.Res.735 -  was introduced by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) during Azerbaijan's  blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh last year.

    "The Administration's continuing support for the Aliyev regime, which  regularly commits atrocities and human rights violations, simply  isn't in line with our values as Americans. Given Azerbaijan's  egregious military action against Artsakh on September 19, it is  imperative that President Biden and Secretary Blinken reconsider our  aid policies," said Representative Schiff. "This resolution aims to  gather information on human rights abuses and war crimes being  committed by Azerbaijan and to halt future aid.  As a country that  champions human rights, we must ensure our foreign aid reflects our  commitment to core values and does not contribute to further violence  against the Armenian people in Artsakh. This resolution is a step  towards aligning our international aid with the ethical standards and  interests of the United States." 

    "Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing of Artsakh's entire indigenous  Armenian population last year was a modern- day genocide the U.S. had  every opportunity to prevent - but instead enabled through the  reckless provision of effectively unconditioned military assistance  to Baku's authoritarian regime," said ANCA Executive Director, Aram  Hamparian. "The ANCA joins with coalition partners in welcoming the  leadership of Senators Markey and Cassidy in restoring much-needed  Congressional oversight of U.S. military assistance through the  enforcement of Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act - an  underutilized statute that can help reassert human rights to its  rightful place at the center of U.S. foreign policy."

    The Markey-Cassidy resolution will require the Department of State to  provide a detailed description of widely documented human rights  abuses perpetrated by Azerbaijan, including unlawful or arbitrary  killings, torture of detainees, the displacement of ethnic Armenians  from Nagorno-Karabakh, and the destruction of religious and cultural  sites - in addition to violations of internationally recognized human  rights including freedom of speech, assembly, political  participation, and religious freedom.

    The introduction of the Markey-Cassidy resolution comes just months  after Azerbaijan launched a military assault on Nagorno-Karabakh that  resulted in the ethnic cleansing of the region's entire Armenian  population of 150,000 people. This mass displacement of civilians  followed a 10-month humanitarian blockade imposed by Azerbaijan along  the Lachin Corridor - the only humanitarian lifeline connecting  Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenian-majority population with the Republic of  Armenia - that deprived the region of food, fuel, medicine, and  humanitarian access, and had devastating implications on water and  energy security.

    The Markey-Cassidy 502B(c) resolution on Azerbaijan will build on  ongoing efforts to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its human rights  violations - including the recent unanimous passage of S.3000, led by  Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), which would prohibit the executive branch  from exercising its waiver authority over existing restrictions on  military assistance to Azerbaijan pursuant to Section 907 of the  FREEDOM Support Act.

     Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act is a long-standing yet  underutilized statute that prohibits U.S. security assistance to "any  country the government of which engages in a consistent pattern of  gross violation of internationally recognized human rights."  If the  Markey-Cassidy resolution passes, it will mark the first time that  Congress has requested a report under Section 502B(c) since 1976.  

Section 502B(c) is a potent tool to reassert long-overdue  Congressional oversight and human rights standards on U.S. military  assistance. As a privileged measure, Senators have the ability to  discharge a 502B(c) report and force a vote on the Senate floor. Upon  passage of the resolution, the State Department must provide a report  within 30 days detailing a country's human rights practices and the  steps taken by the United States to prevent these abuses - or  security assistance will automatically be suspended until such a  statement is transmitted. Following the provision of the requested  report by the State Department, Congress may then vote to terminate  or restrict security assistance through a joint resolution of  disapproval.

    Over 25 civil society organizations have welcomed Senator Markey and  Cassidy's introduction of a 502B(c) request in Azerbaijan's human  rights practices, including: Amnesty International USA, Freedom  House, Human Rights Foundation (HRF), the International Federation of  Human Rights (FIDH), National Council of Churches (NCC), the Arms  Control Association (ACA), Friends Commitee on National Legislation  (FCNL), Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), Center for  International Policy (CIP), Peace Action, Common Defense, Action  Corps, Foreign Policy for America (FP4A), Center for Victims of  Torture (CVT), Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Democracy  for the Arab World Now (DAWN), National Iranian American Council  (NIAC) Action, Women for Weapons Trade Transparency, Church of the  Brethren Office of Peacebuilding & Policy, Global Ministries of the  Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ,  Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), the Hellenic American  Leadership Council (HALC), In Defense of Christians (IDC), American  Friends of Kurdistan (AFK), and the Anglican Office for Government &  International Affairs. 

  "The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) supports the U.S. Senate  resolution requesting the U.S. Secretary of State to produce a  comprehensive report scrutinizing the dictatorial regime of  Azerbaijan's dismal human rights record. For three decades, the  Aliyev dynastic dictatorship, which current tyrant Ilham Aliyev  effectively inherited 20 years ago from his late father and former  soviet Azerbaijani KGB head Heydar Aliyev, has systematically rigged  elections and committed gross human rights violations, including the  persecution and wrongful imprisonment of opposition figures and  journalists, as well as the torture and extrajudicial killing of  Armenian POWs and civilian detainees in the context of the armed  conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. It's long overdue that the  United States reassess its military assistance to the Aliyev regime,  as this is likely to aid it in the commission of gross human rights  violations." - Javier El- Hage, Chief Legal and Policy Officer, Human  Rights Foundation.

    "Amnesty International USA welcomes Senator Markey's introduction of  a resolution requesting information on Azerbaijan's human rights  practices pursuant to Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act.  Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act is one of the most  powerful tools Congress has to exercise human rights oversight on the  executive, including through mandating annual country reports on  human rights practices. We appreciate the Senator is calling for  information from the State Department on Azerbaijan's human rights  record that would allow elected representatives in Congress to have  access to the best information available to consider whether U.S.  taxpayers are funding violations of international law.  We hope more  Senators join as co-sponsors, and vote yes when it moves to the  floor." - Amanda Klasing, National Director of Government Relations  and Advocacy, Amnesty International USA "This resolution marks an  important step toward Congress reclaiming its long-neglected civilian  protection oversight responsibilities when it comes to US arms  transfers and military aid. In too many conflicts around the world,  US arms transfers have both contributed to and facilitated  devastating civilian harm. In Nagorno- Karabakh, Azerbaijan's  blockade of the Lachin Corridor and subsequent armed attacks brought  about a humanitarian crisis for tens of thousands of civilians as  well as mass displacement. Congress is right to invoke Section 502B  of the Foreign Assistance Act to ask serious questions about  Azerbaijan's human rights and civilian protection record and the  impact of US arms transfers." - Annie Shiel, US Advocacy Director,  Center for Civilians in Conflict 

    "CIP applauds Senator Markey and his colleagues for seeking  accountability for U.S. arms sales to Azerbaijan, whose government  has an abysmal record of human right violations, including a military  campaign resulting in the forced displacement of civilians in  Nagorno-Karabakh. The U.S. Government must take the enforcement of  its own arms laws and our security partners' obligations under  international humanitarian law seriously in order to achieve  President Biden's own stated goal of upholding human rights and a  rules-based order in our foreign policy." - Nancy Okail, President  and CEO, Center for International Policy

    "This resolution is an important effort to uphold US laws requiring  an end to military aid to abusive governments like Azerbaijan. It's  imperative that our government consistently and comprehensively  enforce its own laws to all recipients of US military aid." - Sarah  Leah Whitson, Executive Director, Democracy for the Arab World Now

    "Women for Weapons Trade Transparency urges Congress to invoke  section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act in light of  Azerbaijan's dismal record of human rights violations and war crimes.  Congress must utilize its oversight powers to prevent U.S. assistance  from being used in such violations and to ensure that U.S. weapons  and funding are not hindering freedom of expression, threatening the  operations of independent media, or aiding in arbitrary arrests and  politically motivated prosecution." - Lillian Mauldin, Board Member,  Women for Weapons Trade Transparency.

    The signatories have various mandates that may not cover the full  scope of the resolution's provisions.