ACA Urges Congress to Strengthen PEACE Act for True Accountability

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Darrell Issa (CA-48), Vice Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has introduced the Preventing Escalation and Advancing Caucasus Engagement Act (PEACE Act), with Congressman Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) as an original co-sponsor. The legislation is intended to deter future acts of aggression by Azerbaijan and reinforce the current peace framework between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The ACA welcomes congressional attention to the urgent need for U.S. involvement and accountability in the South Caucasus, the PEACE Act leaves critical Armenian concerns unresolved.

Key provisions of the legislation include mandatory sanctions on senior Azerbaijani officials and military units involved in renewed aggression, restrictions on foreign financial institutions tied to Azerbaijan’s petroleum trade, exemptions for humanitarian goods, and requirements for regular presidential reporting to Congress.

However, ACA emphasizes that the bill’s current framework fails to address several urgent humanitarian and justice issues:

• Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives: The PEACE Act makes no mention of Armenians still illegally detained in Azerbaijan.
• Displaced Artsakh Armenians: The bill does not recognize the rights of those ethnically cleansed from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), nor provide a path for their safe and dignified return.
• Past Azerbaijani aggression and war crimes: By focusing only on “renewed” aggression, the legislation overlooks Azerbaijan’s invasions of sovereign Armenian territory, the 2023 ethnic cleansing of Artsakh, and documented war crimes.

The Armenian Council of America urges Congress to strengthen the PEACE Act to ensure it truly supports Armenia’s sovereignty, secures justice for victims of Azerbaijani aggression, and advances a durable, equitable peace in the South Caucasus.