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Floor Speech

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Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I rise today to speak out against Azerbaijan's unlawful detention of Armenian prisoners of war and alarming record of rampant human rights violations.

On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale military attack against Nagorno-Karabakh to gain full control over the territory, causing a mass exodus of more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians--virtually all of the region's ethnic Armenians--as well as the regional government to capitulate.

Azerbaijan then falsely denied that it forced people to leave and insincerely promised that it will peacefully reintegrate the region and guarantee the rights of ethnic Armenians.

Instead, even after their surrender, Azerbaijan punitively arrested and detained leaders of the former Karabakh Government, including former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan, who is here as he is being arrested by Azerbaijan military officials.

Also, ex-Presidents Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik Harutyunyan, Foreign Minister David Babayan, Parliament Speaker Davit Ishkhanyan, and former generals, Levon Mnatsakanyan and Davit Manukyan. These eight former officials have been held in pretrial detention for more than 8 months. And just last month, Azerbaijani authorities extended the detention with another 5 months--without a trial, without due process--and Azerbaijan has routinely resorted to hostage diplomacy, prolonging unlawful detention and using prisoners of war as bargaining chips to impose its demands on Armenia, in clear violation of international law.

In fact, Azerbaijan is still holding dozens of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian political prisoners that it took captive during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. And, additionally, widespread reporting-- including from Human Rights Watch, the International Federation of Federal Rights, and the U.S. Department of State--calls attention to the terrible treatment of political prisoners by Azerbaijan.

Former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan alone has faced punitive extended stays in solitary confinement, poor prison conditions, denial of water and clean clothing, and orders that require him to stand for hours on end. He was also cut off from his lawyer and family for several weeks. Others are subjected to physical abuse, humiliation, and cruel and inhumane treatment.

Despite its clear pattern of committing human rights violations, Azerbaijan has incurred few costs from the international community for its egregious abuses against ethnic Armenians and illegal detention of political prisoners. The Aliyev regime thinks it can continue acting in flagrant violation of international and U.S. law, which is why it is incumbent upon Congress to speak out and say no to Azerbaijan; no to hostage diplomacy and Azerbaijan's taking of political prisoners; no to subjecting political prisoners to cruel and inhumane punishment; no to denying the rights of ethnic Armenians in the region; and no to Azerbaijan delaying the release of the political prisoners even 1 more day.

Azerbaijan must cease all of its abuse of political prisoners. It must release all political prisoners and prisoners of war, and that is why I sent a letter to Secretary Anthony Blinken urging the State Department to prioritize the release of Armenian prisoners held by Azerbaijan and the right of Nagorno-Karabakh's Armenians to return to their homes in ongoing peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan says it wants peace, but what it really wants is to act with impunity and still be rewarded by the United States and the international community, including with the privilege of hosting the next United Nations International Climate Conference COP29 later on this year. You cannot, on the one hand, be saying you want to host the world and then simultaneously say but ignore our human rights violations. Ignore the fact that we just arrest the political leaders of another nation and pretend that somehow or another we are still worthy of hosting the climate summit for the planet.

I urge both Congress and the White House to insist, in all interactions with the Governments of Azerbaijan and Armenia, that the release of political prisoners must be a prerequisite to any concessions, awards, or peace deals reached. We must say no to Azerbaijan's violations of international law and human rights and ensure those responsible are held accountable.

This is the perfect time to be having this conversation. Azerbaijan is getting ready to host the climate summit of the world. We must ensure that we take this opportunity to put the spotlight on all of those political prisoners who are being held wrongly by the Azerbaijan Government. It is strictly a violation of international human rights, and I call upon our government and I call upon the world to put a spotlight on these political prisoners so that they are released before the climate summit is held at the end of this year.

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