U.S. House Demands Azerbaijan’s Release of Armenian POWs.
YEREVAN, July 15, /ARKA/. Congressional, community, and coalition advocacy led to the U.S. House passage of four Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA)-backed amendments demanding Baku’s release of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs), calling for investigations into Azerbaijani war crimes, reporting on the impact of U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan, and placing restrictions on the sale of F-16s to Turkey, ANCA reported.
Three of the measures were adopted as part of larger groupings, or blocs, of amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The fourth, placing restrictions on F-16 sales to Turkey, passed by a vote of 244 to 179 withstanding powerful opposition from pro-Erdogan lobbyists during final days of consideration of the measure.
The U.S. House is expected to pass the underlying NDAA measure later Thursday evening.
“The ANCA thanks the Congressional leaders, coalition partners, and tens of thousands of ANCA activists from across the United States who made today’s victories possible,” said ANCA Chairman Raffi Hamparian.
“Working together – against deeply entrenched and powerfully vested interests – we are helping to protect Artsakh, promote Armenia, hold Azerbaijan accountable, and stop the flow of U.S. arms to Turkey,” he said.
On September 27, 2020, Azerbaijani armed forces, backed by Turkey and foreign mercenaries and terrorists, attacked Nagorno-Karabakh along the entire front line using rocket and artillery weapons, heavy armored vehicles, military aircraft and prohibited types of weapons such as cluster bombs and phosphorus weapons.
After 44 days of the war, on November 9, the leaders of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a statement on the cessation of all hostilities. According to the document, the town of Shushi, the districts of Agdam, Kelbajar and Lachin were handed over to Azerbaijan, with the exception of a 5-kilometer corridor connecting Karabakh with Armenia.
A Russian peacekeeping contingent was deployed along the contact line in Karabakh and along the Lachin corridor. -0-
