LA County calls on Azerbaijan to release Armenian hostages
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion Tuesday that calls for the release of Armenians being held hostage by Azerbaijan.
Since September 2023, Azerbaijan has been holding eight former military and political leaders of Artsakh captive as political prisoners along with 36 other Armenian prisoners. After months of fighting, Azerbaijan claimed full control of the Nagorno-Karabakh region (also known as Artsakh), resulting in 120,000 ethnic Armenians being forced to leave their indigenous land.
The Armenians in Artsakh have been dealing with a humanitarian crisis since Azerbaijani officials launched a full-scale war in 2020. During the six week war, Azerbaijan reclaimed parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and destroyed ancient Armenian churches and buildings. More than 6,700 people died in the fighting, which ended with a Russian-brokered peace agreement. Since then, over 100,00 Armenians were displaced and a 10-month blockade by Azerbaijan left those Artsakh without food or medicine.
11/22/2023 Yerevan, Armenia. Citizens visit their loved ones at Yerablur Military Cemetery who were killed recently during September in Nagorno-Karabakh. (Photo by ANTHONY PIZZOFERRATO/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
"We need to hold Azerbaijan accountable for violations of humanitarian law. As leaders of a County that is home to the greatest number of Armenians outside of Armenia itself, we must do what is within our power and use our voice to condemn Azerbaijan’s violations of human rights and urge the return of all Armenian hostages and prisoners of war," said Supervisor Kathryn Barger who co-authored the motion with Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.
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"We must make it clear that these crimes against humanity will not be tolerated by our government," said Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell.
The Supervisors are urging the US government put pressure on Azerbaijan to release all Armenian prisoners of war. The county says a letter will be sent with all five Supervisors' signatures to President Biden, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen urging the administration to take action and suspend all U.S. military and economic assistance to Azerbaijan.
In November, Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, said a total of 55 Armenian POWs were held by Azerbaijani officials, including six civilians, 41 soldiers and eight separatist leaders who were arrested. In December, Armenia and Azerbaijan exchanged prisoners in a swap. Azerbaijan released 32 Armenians, who were mostly captured in 2020, and Armenia released two Azerbaijani soldiers held since April.