Atlantic Council Article Calls for U.S.-Azerbaijan Deal Linking Prisoner Releases to Section 907 Repeal

WASHINGTON — A new policy proposal published on Atlantic Council website, is urging the United States to pursue a broader diplomatic agreement with Azerbaijan that would tie the release of political prisoners and Armenian detainees to the repeal of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act.

The proposal argues that the Trump administration’s recent efforts to secure prisoner releases in Belarus through targeted sanctions relief could serve as a model for a similar arrangement in the South Caucasus.

Under the suggested framework, Washington would work with Congress to repeal Section 907 — a longstanding restriction on U.S. arms sales to Azerbaijan — in exchange for the release of what the proposal describes as unjustly detained individuals, including journalists, civil society figures, and Armenian prisoners held by Baku.

The article notes that Section 907, adopted in 1992 in response to Azerbaijan’s actions during the Karabakh conflict, has been waived by nearly every U.S. administration since 2001, but remains symbolically important for Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

The proposal also highlights Armenia’s upcoming parliamentary elections, arguing that the release of Armenian detainees before the vote could strengthen Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan against pro-Russian political forces and support ongoing peace efforts between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

According to the proposal, the agreement could provide diplomatic and political benefits to all sides, including improved U.S.-Azerbaijan relations, humanitarian gains through prisoner releases, and additional momentum toward normalization between Armenia and Azerbaijan.