The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs supported the call for the release of Armenian prisoners of war held in Baku

The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs supported the call for Azerbaijan to immediately release Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees. According to Armenpress, citing the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), 44 committee members supported the initiative, with seven voting against.

The amendment was sponsored by Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman, Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues. The document was also supported by the committee's Chairman, Republican Brian Mast.

The committee held a preliminary review of the amendment on June 10, but the final vote did not take place until July 22.

After the vote, Sherman stated that he would continue to seek the release of Armenians, who he described as "illegally and unjustly detained" in Azerbaijan and subjected to cruel treatment.

According to the Armenian side, 19 Armenian citizens, including former leaders of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh region, remain in Azerbaijani custody. Yerevan considers them prisoners of war and political prisoners and demands their release. Baku disagrees, claiming that these individuals were convicted of crimes committed during the Karabakh conflict.

Among the most prominent of those convicted are former president of unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Arayik Harutyunyan, former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, former commander of the Defense Army Levon Mnatsakanyan, his deputy David Manukyan, and former parliament speaker David Ishkhanyan, who were sentenced to life imprisonment. Former presidents of unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Arkady Ghukasyan and Bako Sahakyan, as well as former state minister Ruben Vardanyan, received 20-year prison sentences. The remaining defendants received sentences ranging from 15 to 19 years.

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