U.S. Congress members to Lead Bipartisan Capitol Hill Press  Conference Marking 1,000th Day of Azerbaijani Detention of Armenian  Hostages

ArmInfo.  Representatives Sherman,  McClintock, Chu, Friedman; ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian to  speak as House Foreign Affairs Committee Prepares to Vote on  Sherman-Mast Amendment

Congressional Armenian Caucus Vice-Chair Brad Sherman (D-CA) and  Representatives Tom McClintock (R-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA) and Laura  Friedman (D-CA) will hold a bipartisan Capitol Hill press conference  Tuesday marking the 1,000th day of Azerbaijani detention of Artsakh  (Nagorno Karabakh) leaders, Armenian prisoners of war, and civilian  hostages. ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian will speak on behalf  of the Armenian National Committee of America.

The press conference comes as the House Foreign Affairs Committee  prepares to hold a recorded roll call vote this week on the Sherman  Amendment to the House Foreign Service Act (H.R. 9086), which calls  on Azerbaijan to immediately and unconditionally release all Armenian  prisoners of war and political prisoners. It also follows the  introduction of seven pro-Armenian amendments to the FY2027 National  Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 8800) and the National Security and  Foreign Operations Appropriations Act (H.R. 8595) - advanced by  Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Gus  Bilirakis (R-FL), Caucus Vice-Chair Sherman, and Representatives Gabe  Amo (D-RI) and Jim Costa (D-CA) - now under House Rules Committee  review.

SPEAKERS:

- Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA)

- Congressman Tom McClintock (R-CA)

- Representative Judy Chu (D-CA)

- Representative Laura Friedman (D-CA)

- Aram Hamparian, Executive Director, Armenian National Committee of  America

Additional Members of Congress are expected to attend.

June 23rd marks 1,000 days since Azerbaijan began its unlawful  detention of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian hostages  following the genocidal ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh's entire  Armenian population in September 2023. At least nineteen Armenian  prisoners of war and civilian hostages remain in Azerbaijani custody  - among them eight Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) leaders: Ruben  Vardanyan, State Minister (2022-2023); Arayik Harutyunyan, President  (2020-2023); Bako Sahakyan, President (2007- 2020); Arkadi Ghukasyan,  President (1997-2007); Davit Ishkhanyan, Speaker of the National  Assembly; David Babayan, Advisor to the President and former Foreign  Minister; Levon Mnatsakanyan, Commander, Artsakh Defense Army; and  Davit Manukyan, First Deputy Commander of the Artsakh Defense Army.

Armenian detainees have suffered torture and abuse in Azerbaijani  custody and denied their fundamental legal rights throughout their  detention. In February 2026, following sham trials widely condemned  by human rights organizations and legal experts, Azerbaijan sentenced  Armenian hostages to prison terms ranging from fifteen years to life  on politically motivated charges. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev  flatly refused clemency despite repeated calls from international  legal institutions, human rights organizations, and U.S. officials  for their immediate and unconditional release. The current peace  framework contains no provision requiring the hostages' release.  Since September 2025, Azerbaijan has expelled the International  Committee of the Red Cross - the only organization authorized to  visit Armenian detainees - cutting off international monitoring of  their treatment and wellbeing.

Congress has a critical role to play. The release of Armenian  hostages would represent a meaningful confidence-building measure  toward a just, dignified, and durable peace in the region. The  following ANCA-backed measures send a clear signal that Azerbaijan's  ongoing crimes against Armenians will not go unanswered.

The Sherman/Mast Amendment to H.R. 9086

The Sherman Amendment to the House Foreign Service Act cleared a  House Foreign Affairs Committee markup with the support of Committee  Chairman Brian Mast (R-FL), declaring it the sense of Congress that  Azerbaijan should immediately and unconditionally release all  Armenian prisoners of war and political prisoners. Rep. Sherman cited  documented abuses in Azerbaijani captivity and verified battlefield  executions of Armenian POWs confirmed by Human Rights Watch. The  measure heads to a full House Foreign Affairs Committee roll call  vote this week.

Seven Amendments to FY2027 National Security Legislation (H.R.8800 &  H.R.8595)

Six pro-Armenian amendments to the FY2027 National Defense  Authorization Act (H.R. 8800) and the National Security and Foreign  Operations Appropriations Act (H.R. 8595) - introduced by  Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Gus  Bilirakis (R-FL), Caucus Vice-Chair Brad Sherman (D-CA), and  Representatives Gabe Amo (D-RI) and Jim Costa (D-CA) - are advancing  through the House Rules Committee process. The measures call for the  release of Armenian hostages and prisoners of war illegally held by  Azerbaijan, the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from sovereign  Armenian territory, the protection of Artsakh's cultural and  religious heritage, and the safe return of forcibly displaced  Armenian refugees to their Artsakh homes. The ANCA is urging Members  of Congress to cosponsor all six amendments by visiting  anca.org/ndaa2027 ahead of Rules Committee consideration.

The exact number of Armenian prisoners of war and hostages held in  Azerbaijani prisons remains unknown. Experts estimate the number to  be several hundred. Today, Azerbaijani authorities confirm the  presence of 19 Armenians in their custody. Among those held in  Azerbaijani captivity are eight former and current members of the  military-political leadership of Artsakh. These include former  Artsakh presidents Arkady Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arayik  Harutyunyan; former Foreign Minister David Babayan; as well as  Parliament Speaker David Ishkhanyan; former Commander of the Artsakh  Defense Army General Levon Mnatsakanyan; General David Manukyan; and  former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan.

In February, a Baku puppet court sentenced Arayik Harutyunyan, David  Babayan, David Ishkhanyan, David Manukyan, and Levon Mnatsakanyan to  life imprisonment, and Bako Sahakyan, Arkady Ghukasyan, and Ruben  Vardanyan to 20 years in prison on trumped-up charges. The so-called  court sentenced the remaining Artsakh residents to up to 15 years in  prison.

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