U.S. Legislators, Community Leaders, and Coalition Partners Rally on Capitol Hill for the Return of Armenians to Artsakh

Armenian-Assyrian Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) stressed that Artsakh Armenians’ right of return must be safeguarded and called for additional action to preserve Armenian churches and monuments – many already destroyed by Azerbaijan.

U.S. Legislators, Community Leaders, and Coalition Partners Rally on Capitol Hill for the Return of Armenians to Artsakh  Armenian-Assyrian Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-CA) stressed that Artsakh Armenians’ right of return must be safeguarded and called for additional action to preserve Armenian churches and monuments – many already destroyed by Azerbaijan.Washington, DC –  U.S. lawmakers, Armenian community advocates, coalition partners, and Artsakh Genocide survivors gathered on Capitol Hill at the Armenian National Committee of America’s (ANCA) “Accountability | 2024” event, marking a full year of impunity for Azerbaijan’s September 19-20, 2023, military offensive and ethnic cleansing of Artsakh. Azerbaijan’s attack, after ten months of blockade, culminated in the genocide of over 120,000 indigenous Armenians from their historic Artsakh homeland. The September 19th Capitol Hill program was the capstone of a week-long advocacy “fly-in” organized by the ANCA Eastern and Western regions, which brought over 75 chapter leaders and activists from across the U.S. to the nation’s capital. The delegation met with legislators to advance a broad array of measures aimed at holding Azerbaijan accountable, aiding Artsakh refugees, and forging a path for the safe return of Armenians to Artsakh under international protections. ANCA National Grassroots Director Gev Iskajyan, who worked in Artsakh for two years throughout the blockade and subsequent forced deportation of the Armenian population, opened the program with powerful remarks: “Today, we gather not just to remember, but to demand justice. A year has passed since the final blow of Azerbaijan’s assault on Artsakh, and yet, the international community remains silent. This is not just a loss of territory but a loss of culture, identity, and history — an entire people forcibly uprooted from their ancestral home. We refuse to accept this as the end. We demand the right of return for every displaced Armenian under international protection. ‘Artsakh lives’ because its spirit is alive in every one of us fighting for justice.”

orer.eu