WASHINGTON – One hundred and one Members of Congress signed an Armenian Assembly-supported bipartisan, bicameral letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the continued waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act and U.S. military assistance to Azerbaijan.
In the October 5, 2026, letter led by Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) and Armenian Caucus Leader Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), 101 Members of Congress recognize the Administration’s mediation of peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but also warn that Azerbaijan’s conduct continues to undermine the peace process. The lawmakers express concern over the reauthorization of the waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, which restricts U.S. assistance to the Government of Azerbaijan, and note that the waiver was extended following last year’s White House summit without leading Azerbaijan to release the Armenian hostages held in Baku.
The letter highlights that in February 2026, Azerbaijan sentenced 16 Armenians, including former political and military leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, to terms ranging from 15 years to life in prison, following trials widely condemned by international human rights organizations, legal experts, and the European Parliament. The lawmakers note that June 23, 2026, marked the 1,000th day of the hostages’ detention, and that their imprisonment calls into question Azerbaijan’s genuine commitment to long-term peace.
The Members also raise concerns about Azerbaijan’s continued occupation of an estimated 241 square kilometers of Armenian territory following military incursions into Armenia in 2021 and 2022. They warn that this presence within Armenia’s internationally recognized borders creates asymmetry in ongoing border delimitation talks, even as Armenia has taken concrete steps to resolve Soviet-era territorial disputes. The letter further cites the forced displacement of more than 100,000 Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023 and ongoing reports of the destruction of Armenian churches in the region.
“Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act has stood for more than three decades as a principled provision of law, ensuring that U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan reflects its conduct toward Armenia and the Armenian people,” said Armenian Assembly Congressional Relations Director Mariam Khaloyan.
“We thank Senator Peters and Representative Bilirakis for their leadership and the 101 Members of Congress, from both parties and both chambers, who have reaffirmed the principles behind Section 907, as the Armenian hostages held in Baku mark more than 1,000 days in captivity,” Khaloyan concluded.
