ANCA: Over 80 US Congressmen urge White House Administration to ensure safe return of Armenians to Artsakh

ArmInfo. The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) welcomes a powerful bipartisan Congressional call  today by  eighty-seven U.S. Representatives from across twenty-four states, representing over 66 million Americans.  According to ANCA, the congressmen call on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ensure the "collective and  protected return" of forcibly displaced Armenians to their homeland of Nagorno-Karabakh. (Artsakh), in line with international law and in support of just and lasting peace in the South Caucasus.

"This bipartisan letter sends the administration a clear message: any path to real  regional  peace needs to start with the collective, protected return of Armenians to Artsakh-certainly not the normalization of Azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing of  indigenous Christians from their ancient homeland We are grateful to the leadership of the Armenian Caucus and every member of Congress who stood up today for  peace and justice, a message backed up by international law and rooted  in human rights," said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.

The their letter, led by Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone, Gus Bilirakis, Brad Sherman, and David Valadeo, lawmakers emphasize: "We urge you to engage all parties in this unresolved  conflict to ensure the collective, protected and  dignified return of  forcibly displaced Armenians to their homeland of Nagorno-Karabakh. Taking this action  is in direct accordance  with international law and in pursuit of  a just and lasting peace in the region."

The letter documents the consequences of Azerbaijan's 2023 blockade and military assault on Artsakh, which "forcibly displaced the region's entire Christian Armenian population of 120,000 people." It further details how, following the assault, Azerbaijan "engaged in the systematic destruction of Christian Armenian cultural heritage sites," and conducted "the widespread ransacking and demolition of civilian property, and public infrastructure, in an attempt to deny the possibility of return."

The letter states: "The right of populations displaced by war to return to their homes is a fundamental principle of international law." It also references a December 2023 International Court of Justice order compelling Azerbaijan to ensure the safe and secure return of Artsakh's Armenian population.  The letter specifically urges the Administration to support the Swiss Peace Initiative for Nagorno- Karabakh, a diplomatic measure adopted by the Swiss Parliament to "establish an international negotiation platform to mediate a safe, secure and internationally guaranteed return of Armenians."

In the letter, the lawmakers also reaffirmed past U.S. commitments, citing testimony from Assistant Secretary of State  Jim O'Brien: "We have urged Azerbaijan to ensure  all ethic Armenians who have departed Nagorno-Karabakh  are guaranteed a  safe, dignified and sustainable return, should they so choose, with their rights and security guaranteed."

The Congressional letter concludes with a strong appeal: "We look forward to your response, and to the opportunity  to work with you to promote a just, durable and dignified peace in the region, that ensures the fundamental rights of displaced Armenians to return to their indigenous homeland without fear of renewed violence and persecution."