,,iii #aahth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #icj ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,december #ag 7legislative day1 ,december #af71 #bjbd,mr4 ,peters 7for himself and ,mr4 ,cassidy7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,condemning the ,government of ,azerbaijan for perpetrating an ethnic cleansing campaign against the ,armenian population of ,nagorno-,karabakh4 ,whereas ,nagorno-,karabakh is part of the traditional homeland of the ,armenian people and has been a center of ,armenian life and culture for millennia2 ,whereas the ,armenian population of ,nagorno-,karabakh have continually sought to exercise their right of self-determination and established a government separate from ,azerbaijan2 ,whereas1 on ,december #ab1 #bjbb1 the ,government of ,azerbaijan initiated a grueling blockade of ,nagorno-,karabakh that deprived the region's population of food1 medicine1 fuel1 and other necessities for nearly #aj months2 ,whereas1 on ,september #ai1 #bjbc1 the ,government of ,azerbaijan launched a full-scale military offensive against the ,armenian population of ,nagorno-,karabakh that took the lives of hundreds of soldiers and dozens of civilians2 ,whereas the ,government of ,azerbaijan used the threat of further violence to coerce the ,armenian leadership of ,nagorno-,karabakh to surrender their autonomy and dissolve their governing institutions2 ,whereas over #ajj1jjj ,armenians of ,nagorno-,karabakh1 facing the threat of further ethnic violence1 fled to ,armenia as refugees within #b weeks of ,azerbaijan's assault2 ,whereas the rhetoric of ,president ,ilham ,aliyev and other ,azerbaijani officials demonstrates a clear ethnic animus that continues to undermine efforts to build a durable and dignified peace2 ,whereas international legal experts1 including former ,chief ,prosecutor of the ,international ,criminal ,court ,luis ,moreno ,ocampo and former ,united ,nations genocide expert ,juan ,mendez1 have determined that ,azerbaijan's blockade of ,nagorno-,karabakh violated the ,united ,nations ,genocide ,convention2 ,whereas ,azerbaijan has a responsibility to protect ethnic ,armenian cultural heritage sites in ,nagorno-,karabakh1 including churches1 monasteries1 cemeteries1 and other cultural monuments and should support ,,unesco to assess and catalog the region's many culturally significant sites2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,commission on ,international ,religious ,freedom recommends that ,azerbaijan be designated as a country of particular concern1 in part because of the destruction of ,christian religious sites in ,nagorno-,karabakh2 ,whereas1 according to the ,government of ,armenia1 dozens of ,armenian prisoners of war1 civilian captives1 and members of the political leadership of ,nagorno-,karabakh are now unjustly imprisoned in ,azerbaijan on politically motivated charges or no charges at all2 ,whereas the political leaders of ,nagorno-,karabakh now imprisoned by the ,government of ,azerbaijan1 including ,davit ,manukyan1 ,davit ,babayan1 ,levon ,mnatsakanyan1 ,arkadi ,ghukasyan1 ,bako ,sahakyan1 ,arayik ,harutyunyan1 ,davit ,ishkhanyan1 and ,ruben ,vardanyan1 should be afforded due process in accordance with the #aiff ,international ,covenant on ,civil and ,political ,rights1 to which ,azerbaijan is a party2 ,whereas there are still thousands missing from the over #cj-year conflict in ,nagorno-,karabakh2 ,whereas the ,government of ,azerbaijan has a well-documented record of subjecting ,armenian prisoners to torture1 humiliation1 and other violations of fundamental rights afforded by the ,geneva ,conventions2 ,whereas1 as a result of ,azerbaijan's ethnic cleansing campaign1 over #ajj1jjj displaced persons from ,nagorno-,karabakh now seek refuge in ,armenia where1 because of the country's limited resources1 they face difficulties accessing housing1 food security1 employment1 and health care2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,government has announced more than #aj1gjj1jjj in urgent humanitarian assistance to respond to the crisis1 but much more is needed2 ,whereas international law provides for a right of return for populations displaced from their country of origin1 including under the #aidh ,universal ,declaration of ,human ,rights1 the #aiff ,covenant on ,civil and ,political ,rights1 the ,fourth ,geneva ,convention1 and the ,european ,convention on ,human ,rights to which ,azerbaijan is a party2 ,whereas the ,international ,court of ,justice issued a binding provisional measure in ,november #bjbc requiring the ,government of ,azerbaijan to provide for the safe1 unimpeded1 and expeditious return of ,armenian refugees who wish to return to their homes in ,nagorno-,karabakh2 ,whereas1 in #bjbd1 ,freedom ,house1 in partnership with ,armenian and international human rights organizations1 issued a report that they hope will contribute to the finding that the ,azerbaijani authorities have engaged in a systematic and deliberate campaign aimed at the ethnic cleansing of the ,armenian population from ,nagorno-,karabakh1 thereby committing egregious violations of human rights and international law2 ,whereas1 prior to the ,azerbaijani assault on ,nagorno-,karabakh1 ,acting ,assistant ,secretary of ,state for ,europe and ,eurasia ,yuri ,kim testified before ,congress that the ,united ,states ,government will not tolerate any ,azerbaijani attack on ,nagorno-,karabakh2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,government has yet to impose meaningful accountability measures on ,azerbaijan for perpetrating an inhumane blockade and campaign of ethnic cleansing in ,nagorno-,karabakh2 ,whereas failing to hold the ,government of ,azerbaijan accountable for ethnic cleansing emboldens ,azerbaijan's leaders to engage in further anti-,armenian aggression2 ,whereas1 in recent years1 the ,government of ,armenia has sought to deepen its ties to the ,united ,states and other liberal democracies and to distance itself from ,russia2 ,whereas the ,government of ,azerbaijan illegally occupies approximately #bjj square kilometers of ,armenia's internationally recognized territory1 including approximately #aej square kilometers captured during the aggressive military actions from #bjbj to #bjbc2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,government has a special interest in ensuring that ,armenia's security is not jeopardized because of its embrace of democracy and rejection of ,vladimir ,putin's murderous regime2 ,whereas the ,government of ,azerbaijan continues to demand unilateral territorial concessions from ,armenia through the threat of force1 often referring to portions of sovereign ,armenian territory as western ,azerbaijan2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,government has taken a direct role in facilitating a durable conflict-resolution process between ,armenia and ,azerbaijan2 and ,whereas the ,government of ,azerbaijan and the ,republic of ,armenia continue to engage in talks that have yet to finalize a peace agreement1 leaving many concerned about potential for future violence3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 condemns1 in the strongest possible terms1 the atrocities perpetrated by the ,government of ,azerbaijan against the ,armenian population of ,nagorno-,karabakh2 7#b7 recognizes that ,azerbaijan's blockade and subsequent military offensive against the ,armenian population of ,nagorno-,karabakh constitute acts of ethnic cleansing2 7#c7 affirms the fundamental right of displaced ,armenians to return to their homes in ,nagorno-,karabakh with strong protections in place to ensure their security2 and 7#d7 calls on the ,president and the relevant ,federal agencies to take immediate action to-- 7,a7 impose targeted sanctions on ,azerbaijani government officials complicit in human rights abuses2 7,b7 restrict ,united ,states military aid to ,azerbaijan consistent with #ijg of the ,,freedom ,support ,act 7,public ,law #ajb-eaa2 #bb ,u4,s4,c4 #ehab note72 7,c7 reaffirm the findings of the #bjbd ,freedom ,house report which documented a deliberate campaign by the ,government of ,azerbaijan to ethnically cleanse the ,armenian population from ,nagorno-,karabakh and recognizes that these actions against the ,armenian population of ,nagorno-,karabakh constitute ethnic cleansing2 7,d7 provide robust humanitarian assistance to respond to the refugee crisis in ,armenia and rally the international community to do the same2 7,e7 continue to strengthen the ,united ,states-,armenia security partnership as the ,government of ,armenia bolsters its ties to ,western allies2 and 7,f7 facilitate diplomacy to achieve a just and lasting peace in the ,south ,caucasus that provides for the release of all ,armenians unjustly imprisoned by the ,government of ,azerbaijan1 establishes a right of return and security guarantees for the displaced ,armenians of ,nagorno-,karabakh1 and preserves the ,armenian cultural heritage of ,nagorno-,karabakh4