A senior US Senator calls for sanctions on Azerbaijani President, alleging a “genocidal” campaign against ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.

In a passionate call for action, Senator Bob Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged the United States on Tuesday to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan’s leader, President Ilham Aliyev. The senator accused Aliyev’s government of perpetrating a campaign of “genocide” against the ethnic Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh, a charge vehemently rejected by Azerbaijani authorities.

The ongoing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh has taken a toll on the region, leading to humanitarian concerns, alleged atrocities, and a dire need for international intervention. Senator Menendez’s appeal highlights the urgency of the situation and calls for decisive measures to address it.

Accusations of Genocide and Atrocities

Senator Menendez, known for his close ties to the Armenian diaspora, did not mince words in his address to the Senate. He accused the Aliyev government of conducting “heinous atrocities that bear the hallmarks of genocide” against the Armenian population in Artsakh, the Armenian name for the self-styled republic governed by separatist authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh.