Eighty-seven members of the U.S. Congress have urged the White House administration to ensure the safe return of displaced Armenians to Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), according to the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
Representing 24 U.S. states and over 66 million Americans, the lawmakers addressed U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, calling for the “collective, protected, and dignified return” of forcibly displaced Armenians to their homeland in accordance with international law and in pursuit of lasting peace in the South Caucasus.
Commenting on the bipartisan letter organized with ANCA support, ANCA Washington Office Executive Director Aram Hamparian said, “This bipartisan letter sends a clear message to the administration: any path to lasting peace must begin with the recognition of the right of return to Artsakh—not the legitimization of Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of indigenous Christian populations. We’re grateful to the leadership of the Armenian Caucus and all lawmakers who stood for justice and return under international law and human rights.”
The letter was spearheaded by Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone, Gus Bilirakis, Brad Sherman, and David Valadao. “We urge you to engage all parties to ensure the collective, protected, and dignified return of displaced Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh,” their message states, adding that the step aligns with international law and promotes lasting regional peace.
The letter details the impact of Azerbaijan’s 2023 blockade and military assault on Artsakh, which led to the forced displacement of the entire Christian Armenian population—about 120,000 people. It also notes that Azerbaijan “systematically destroyed Armenian Christian cultural heritage sites,” and “looted and damaged civilian property and public infrastructure to prevent any possibility of return.”
The lawmakers remind that “the right of return for displaced populations is a core principle of international law.” They also cite the 2023 International Court of Justice order instructing Azerbaijan to ensure the safe return of the Armenian population of Artsakh.
The letter urges the U.S. administration to support a peace initiative adopted by the Swiss Parliament, which seeks to establish an international platform to guarantee the Armenians’ secure and protected return with international assurances.
This Swiss-led initiative was prominently discussed during a special U.S. Congressional hearing on July 10, attended by over 200 staffers, human rights advocates, and policy experts. Speakers included Swiss MPs Erich von Tobel and Lukas Reimann, Christian Solidarity International President John Eibner, and former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian. The session was moderated by ANCA Political Affairs Director Alex Galitsky.
Over the past month, Armenian-American activists and allies, through ANCA’s national, regional, and local platforms, sent over 40,000 emails and made numerous calls to members of Congress, urging support for the letter. Participants in ANCA’s youth educational programs visited over 400 congressional offices to advocate key policy priorities from an Armenian perspective.
The letter also reaffirms past U.S. commitments, quoting State Department official Jim O’Brien: “We have called on Azerbaijan to ensure the safe, dignified, and sustainable return of all ethnic Armenians who left Nagorno-Karabakh, with guarantees of their rights and security.”
The lawmakers conclude with a clear call: “We expect your response and look forward to working with you to advance a just, enduring, and dignified peace in the region—one that ensures the fundamental right of displaced Armenians to return to their homeland, free from renewed violence or persecution.”
On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan launched a large-scale offensive against Artsakh, heavily shelling the region. One day later, the Artsakh authorities accepted a Russian-brokered ceasefire, agreeing to Baku’s terms—disarmament of the Defense Army and the dissolution of the Republic of Artsakh. On September 24, mass forced displacement began, with over 100,000 Armenians fleeing to Armenia. Reports suggest only about 20 Armenians remain in Artsakh. On September 28, President Samvel Shahramanyan signed a decree dissolving the Republic, effective January 1, 2024.
