Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), left, and Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)

Bicameral Letter to Blinken Ahead of COP29 Urging US to Hold Azerbaijan Accountable for Crimes Imperils Relations

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WASHINGTON/BAKU (Combined Sources) — A bicameral letter spearheaded by Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr (D-NJ) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) to Secretary of State Antony Blinken ahead of the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in November, urged the Biden administration to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its human rights abuses, release all prisoners of war, and take measures to ensure Armenia’s territorial integrity.

Signed by 60 members of the House and Senate, the letter takes a stern tone and does not mince words:

“As COP29 approaches, we request that the State Department press Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and the Government of Azerbaijan to take tangible measures that support regional peace, uphold human rights protections, and adhere to international laws and norms. We urge the State Department to press for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, hostages and POWs, including ethnic Armenians, to enable a more conducive environment for successful diplomacy at COP29,” the letter notes, in part.

“Azerbaijan’s record on human rights remains deeply concerning, with no improvement noted by watchdogs. Human Rights Watch has consistently reported Azerbaijan’s ‘appalling human rights record,’ with abuses escalating unabated through 2023. Freedom House ranks Azerbaijan with a ‘democracy percentage’ of 1 percent and a ‘global freedom score’ of 7 out of 100.3 The State Department’s most recent Human Rights Report corroborates these findings, detailing unlawful killings, torture, and severe restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association,” the letter goes on to say.

“Azerbaijan’s deadly attack in Nagorno Karabakh in 2020, the 10-month blockade of the Lachin Corridor and the September 2023 cleansing of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh blatantly violated international law and led to significant and continued human suffering. The sustained blockade violated a February 2023 order by the International Court of Justice requiring “unimpeded movement . . . along the Lachin Corridor,” the members of Congress wrote.

“Despite overwhelming evidence and international condemnation, Azerbaijan has not faced meaningful consequences for the ethnic cleansing and other actions. Additionally, as of the end of 2023, Azerbaijan had detained several of Nagorno-Karabakh’s political leaders and at least 23 prisoners of war; many others were unaccounted for or captured, some of whom were extrajudicially killed by Azerbaijani soldiers or law enforcement. Azerbaijan must take immediate action to address its poor human rights track record ahead of COP29. Additionally, we urge the State Department to condemn Azerbaijan’s harmful rhetoric criticizing Armenia’s right to self-defense. Azerbaijan has made false and inflammatory allegations that Armenia is preparing for war against Azerbaijan,” it added.

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“Additionally, the U.S. should use all opportunities presented during COP29 to promote a just, durable and dignified peace in the region—particularly in light of Azerbaijan’s recent refusal to sign a preliminary peace treaty with Armenia. Support for human rights, the promotion of regional security, and the preservation of Armenia’s sovereign integrity are crucial not only to uphold our own commitment to democratic ideals, but also to carry out an effective multilateral climate conference.

“The upcoming COP29 in Azerbaijan offers a unique opportunity to promote clean energy and regional cooperation, but it is critical for the United States to address the significant challenges posed by ongoing human rights violations and unresolved territorial conflicts in Azerbaijan. By taking these steps to address Azerbaijan’s detention of political prisoners, hostages, and prisoners of war, as well as deescalate inflammatory accusations against Armenia, the State Department can help ensure that COP29 focuses on sustainable development and genuinely aids clean energy, climate, and economic progress in a region marked by complex diplomatic challenges and untapped potential,” the letter concluded.

The letter was cosigned by Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Jacklyn Rosen (D-NV), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI), Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Donald Beyer (D-VA), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Greg Casar (D-TX), Sean Casten (D-IL), Kathy Castor (D-FL), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Judy Chu (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Danny Davis (D-IL), Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Daniel Goldman (D-NY), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Daniel Kildee (D-MI), John Larson (D-CT), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Susie Lee (D-NV), Mike Levin (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Stephen Lynch (D-MA), Seth Magaziner (D-RI), James McGovern (D-MA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Grace Meng (D-NY), Kevin Mullin (D-CA), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Scott Peters (D-CA), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Linda Sánchez (D-CA), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Bradley Schneider (D-IL), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Thomas Suozzi (D-NY), Dina Titus (D-NV), Lori Trahan (D-MA), David Valadao (R-CA).

Azerbaijani Reaction

Upon the release of the letter, a story in OC-Media on October 5 noted that 43 Azerbaijani Members of Parliament have appealed to Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to ‘review’ the country’s relationship with the US, including pulling out of several military agreements.

The MPs signed the statement on that day demanding Bayramov terminate the Joint Declaration on Future Military and Defense Cooperation, signed in 1997, and the Agreement on the Acquisition of Equipment and Mutual Services, signed in 2013.

They also demanded an immediate stop to any ongoing negotiations on new agreements or the extension of existing agreements and the suspension of all projects implemented by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and other US-based organizations.

“We urge the State Department to press for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, hostages, and POWs, including ethnic Armenians, to enable a more conducive environment for successful diplomacy at COP29,” the statement read.

On October 4, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev commented on the letter before parliament.

“This morning, I glanced through that appeal; it is a dirty appeal that cannot influence our will,” he said.

He also alleged that the real author behind the appeal was the US Department of State itself.

“In other words, they are writing letters to themselves to threaten us, to accuse us. After all, what have we done? We have liberated our native lands. Is there an Armenian living here? No, you, the residents of Jabrayil are,” he said.

According to Azerbaijani MP Erkin Gadirli, who did not sign the appeal to Bayramov, the US, as well as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, have “slandered Azerbaijan.”

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