Armenian Legal Center files Global Magnitsky Act for sanctions cases against Azerbaijani officials

WASHINGTON – The Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights (ALC) has filed seven Global Magnitsky Act sanctions cases with the US Department of State and Treasury against more than forty senior Azerbaijani officials. These Magnitsky sanctions cases, which were filed jointly with the International and Comparative Law Center based in Yerevan, Armenia, and several of which were co-filed with the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, are in direct response to war crimes and human rights violations committed during the recent Artsakh/Nagorno -war. -Karabakh War, which culminated in the ethnic cleansing and forced deportation of native Armenians.

“The Armenian Legal Center is committed to pursuing justice for the victims of war crimes and human rights violations,” said ALC President Ken Hachikian. “By initiating Global Magnitsky Act sanctions cases against Azerbaijani officials, we aim to hold perpetrators accountable for their actions and ensure that justice is served.”

With these submissions, the ALC calls on the U.S. government to take decisive action against those responsible for committing serious human rights violations, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ALC emphasized that the atrocities committed against the people of Artsakh, Armenia and the entire Armenian nation require a swift and strong response in pursuit of justice and accountability for the victims and to help prevent future atrocities.

Last week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), introduced the “Azerbaijani Sanctions Revision Act.” This landmark legislation addresses the atrocities committed by Azerbaijani officials, particularly the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh.

The proposed bill directs the Biden administration to conduct a comprehensive review within 180 days of enactment to determine whether the Azerbaijani officials named in the bill meet the criteria for sanctions under existing U.S. law, including the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.

The list of more than forty Azerbaijani officials mentioned in the bill was compiled by the Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights in cooperation with its partners at the International Comparative Law Center in Yerevan, which verified that the named persons are complicit in committing serious violations of the law. international humanitarian law.

The Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, passed by the US Congress in 2016, authorizes the US government to impose visa bans and asset freezes on foreign government officials and individuals responsible for significant acts of corruption or human rights abuses.

Based in Washington DC, ALC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-governmental organization with the mission to pursue justice for human rights violations resulting from the Armenian Genocide, including the regional security of the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh.

The Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights, based in Washington DC, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-governmental organization whose mission is to pursue justice for human rights violations arising from the Armenian Genocide, including the regional security of Armenia and Artsakh republics.