ACA Urges Members of Congress to Resign from the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus

The Armenian Council of America joins other civic, humanitarian and cultural organizations in urging the following Congressional Members to dissociate themselves from the Congressional Azerbaijan caucus:

“It is no secret that the dictatorial regime of Azerbaijan believes, through its oil revenue, it can buy politicians and silence journalists,” stated Armenian Council of America Chairman Mr. Sevak Khatchadorian. “It is long past due that these Congressional Members distance themselves from the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus which advocates for an Azerbaijani regime with a dismal human rights record and is guilty of committing numerous war crimes.”

A federal grand jury probe which led to the raid of Co-Chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, Democratic Congressman Henry Cuellar’s home and office in Texas this week has begun issuing subpoenas, seeking records about a wide array of U.S. companies and advocacy organizations, many of them with ties to the dictatorship of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan has in the past utilized what it deems as Caviar Diplomacy. A lobbying strategy of Azerbaijan, consisting of costly invitations of foreign politicians and employees of international organizations to Azerbaijan at the expense of Azerbaijan, including gifting expensive presents given as “a tribute” of loyalty to the Azerbaijani regime. Various European politicians have been found to have violated their respective counties laws by accepting gifts including money laundered through a series of shell companies to disguise their origin.

The dictatorial regime of Azerbaijan maintains a rigid control, severely curtailing freedoms of association, expression, and assembly throughout the country. In September 2020, Azerbaijan unleashed the large-scale military aggression, as well as extrajudicial executions of civilians, and varying forms of international and human rights abuses, including the utilization of cluster bombs and white phosphorus against the civilian inhabitants of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).