Two U.S. Congress members reported facing physical threats and intimidation while urging Azerbaijan to ensure the safe return of Artsakh’s displaced Armenians and release Armenian prisoners during the COP29 climate summit in Baku.
Senator Ed Markey and Representative Frank Pallone attended the UN climate summit, which began on November 11, along with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. The three lawmakers criticized Azerbaijan’s human rights record and actions in its conflict with Armenia.
“We believe political prisoners should be released, and Armenians should have the right to return to Nagorno-Karabakh,” Markey said during a press conference in Baku.
Whitehouse also expressed concern, stating, “The displacement of so many Armenians is deeply regrettable. To put it mildly, I’m far from convinced Armenians are to blame for this.”
At a joint press conference in Washington on Monday, Markey and Pallone recounted hostile encounters with pro-government Azerbaijani journalists and protesters in Baku, whom they believe were acting on Azerbaijani government orders.
“I genuinely thought I might be assaulted,” said Pallone, a longtime advocate for Armenian causes in Congress. “If not for the security hired by the [U.S.] Embassy, I would have ended up in the hospital. It was very serious.”
Markey echoed Pallone’s concerns. “Like Frank, I needed a bodyguard at all times, even in the hotel lobby or going to my room,” he said. Markey also condemned Azerbaijan’s deteriorating human rights record, calling it “unacceptable” and urging the U.S. government to take action.
Markey and Pallone were among 72 U.S. lawmakers who signed an October 3 letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, accusing Azerbaijan of ethnic cleansing in Artsakh and calling for sanctions against its government. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev dismissed the letter and responded with threats of military action against Armenia.
Baku denies accusations of ethnic cleansing, claiming that Artsakh Armenians can live under Azerbaijani rule. However, Artsakh’s leadership and residents rejected this idea even before Azerbaijan’s September 2023 military offensive, which resulted in full control of the region.
Armenia had agreed to Baku hosting COP29 last December as part of a deal that led to the release of 32 Armenian captives. Armenian officials reportedly hoped the summit would lead to the release of 23 additional prisoners, but none have been freed so far.
