Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues Co-Chair Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. has issued a statement criticizing Azerbaijan’s recent tactics that is aimed at starving the people of Nagorno-karabakh (Artsakh) out of their historic homelands.

“On July 29, Azeri forces apprehended an Artsakh civilian who was transported for medical treatment by the International Committee of the Red Cross to Armenia. They baselessly alleged he was a war criminal from the first Nagorno-Karabakh war in 1991, seemingly setting a dangerous precedent for all other Armenians who participated in either war. This human rights abuse comes just days after the Aliyev regime reportedly pulled out of planned talks with Artsakh leadership set to take place in Bratislava, Slovakia on August 1,” Pallone said in a statement on August 1.

“Aliyev’s actions continue to show he has no interest in addressing the safety and security concerns of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh, a necessary condition for a lasting peace settlement. Instead, he continues to sabotage negotiations and is using stall tactics in the hopes of starving people out of their historic homelands or forcing them to submit to his brutal rule,” Pallone said.

Pallone reminded that Azerbaijan continues to block the Lachin Corridor, preventing any food, medical supplies, and energy resources from reaching Armenians in Artsakh.

“This is a violation of international law and a clear campaign of ethnic cleansing against these people at the hands of the Aliyev regime. The international community, including the United States and United Nations, can and should take clear action to prevent this humanitarian crisis from deepening any further. I call on the State Department to use all diplomatic tools available, including sanctions, to bring this blockade to an end,” Pallone concluded.

“The brutal actions of the Aliyev regime continue to threaten Armenians in the South Caucasus. The blockade of the Lachin Corridor for over seven months puts the lives and livelihoods of over 120,000 people in Artsakh at risk and prevents aid from going through the corridor. The blockade is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis caused by Azerbaijan’s deadly 2020 invasion of Artsakh that killed 5,000 and forced more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians to leave their homes. Azeri forces continue to harass, detain, and kill individuals in Armenia and Artsakh, while also falsely declaring Armenian territory as their own.”

Since December 12, 2022, the sole road connecting Nagorno Karabakh to Armenia - the Lachin Corridor - has been blocked by Azerbaijan. Baku tightened the blockade on June 15, 2023, banning emergency relief supplies that were carried out by Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross through the sole road connecting Karabakh to Armenia and the outside world. The move aggravated the shortages of food, medicine and other essential items experienced by the region’s population.