Denounce Azerbaijan’s Genocide of Armenians in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)

I write to you in grave concern over the ongoing genocide against Armenians in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) perpetrated by Azerbaijan. As documented in a recent interview with Armenian activist Arshak Makichyan on Democracy Now! (November 25, 2024), the situation is a humanitarian catastrophe, compounded by Azerbaijani aggression and international indifference. The Azerbaijani government, under President Ilham Aliyev, has systematically targeted the Armenian population of Artsakh, forcing more than 100,000 Armenians to flee their ancestral homes. The deliberate blockade of the Lachin Corridor last year caused mass starvation and deprivation, culminating in what Makichyan rightly identifies as genocide. This expulsion and erasure of a people from their homeland is a crime against humanity that demands immediate international condemnation and action. Makichyan also underscores the complicity of world powers, including the United States, which has failed to hold Azerbaijan accountable while continuing to provide military aid. Silence in the face of these atrocities not only betrays our values but also emboldens future perpetrators of genocide. I urge you to: 1. Publicly denounce Azerbaijan’s actions as genocide and call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 2. Support sanctions against Azerbaijan until it complies with international law, including the protection of ethnic Armenians in Artsakh. 3. Push for U.S. humanitarian aid to support Armenian refugees displaced by this crisis. 4. Advocate for accountability through international legal mechanisms, ensuring Azerbaijan faces consequences for its war crimes. The U.S. must not remain complicit through inaction. As Makichyan warns, failure to act signals to the world that ethnic cleansing can occur without consequence. Armenians in Artsakh deserve justice, dignity, and the right to live peacefully in their homeland. Your leadership on this matter is crucial to upholding human rights and international law. I look forward to your response and public stance on this issue.