Bipartisan House committee advances amendment on Armenian POWs
Bipartisan House Foreign Affairs Committee action demands Azerbaijan release Armenian hostages
A bipartisan amendment to the House Foreign Service Act calling for Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian prisoners of war and political prisoners advanced through committee markup with support from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
The amendment, led by Congressional Armenian Caucus Vice-Chair Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and supported by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL), passed committee and will proceed to a full House vote.
Sherman cited documented abuses and verified executions of Armenian POWs, including videos reviewed by Human Rights Watch, as justification for the measure. He framed the prisoner release as aligned with the Trump administration's South Caucasus peace efforts.
The original amendment included enforcement of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, but Sherman modified it by removing that provision to secure Mast's backing. The measure reflects growing international momentum, including an April European Parliament resolution on the issue.