Reps. Dina Titus and Chris Smith Lead bipartisan call to sanction  Azerbaijani officials for war crimes

ArmInfo. Thirty-six U.S. Representatives - led by Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Chris Smith (R-NJ) - have called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to impose Global Magnitsky sanctions on Azerbaijani officials  responsible for grave human rights abuses against Armenians,  including the illegal detention, abuse, and sham trials of Armenian  prisoners of war and former Artsakh leaders. The Armenian National  Committee of America (ANCA) welcomed the Congressional letter as a  bipartisan step toward accountability and justice for the Armenian  people of Artsakh.

"This bipartisan letter-led by Representatives Dina Titus and Chris  Smith-sends a powerful message that America must stand on the side of  justice and accountability," stated ANCA Executive Director Aram  Hamparian. "We thank all the Members of Congress who signed this  letter for demanding immediate Magnitsky sanctions against  Azerbaijani officials involved in war crimes and the unlawful  detention of Armenian political leaders and POWs. Durable peace in  the region requires the release of all illegally detained Armenians,  the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from Armenian territory, and, of  course, support for the right of Artsakh Armenians to collectively  return to their ancestral homes with dignity and security." 

The bipartisan letter urges the State Department to "immediately  exercise your authority to impose sanctions under the Global