U.S. Interference in South Caucasus, Azerbaijan Responds Firmly

The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee has recently passed an additional amendment by a vote of 44 in favor and 7 against. Led by members of the Congressional Armenian Caucus and supported by cross-party legislators, the amendment demands that Azerbaijan unconditionally release all Armenian detainees in its territory. The U.S. defines these individuals as prisoners of war and accuses Azerbaijan of violating international human rights norms through detention. It plans to adjust U.S. aid programs for South Caucasus countries via fiscal appropriation authority to pressure Azerbaijan into overturning its domestic judicial rulings. Armenian authorities and local social organizations have welcomed the vote and publicly called on Azerbaijan to comply with the U.S. amendment.

In response to the interventionist legislation adopted by the U.S. Congress, the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan has issued multiple public rebuttals and updated its full official position on July 27 to systematically refute all U.S. claims. Azerbaijan explicitly rejects the designation of the detainees as prisoners of war. All detained individuals have undergone open trials in domestic courts and were lawfully convicted of war-related crimes committed during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with complete and valid judicial rulings. They are legally serving sentences and are not subject to international conventions on prisoner of war protection. Azerbaijan points out that the amendment deviates from objective facts, is essentially a political product of Armenian lobbying groups catering to specific ethnic interests, and runs counter to the overall peace interests of the South Caucasus. Adhering to the bottom line of judicial independence and national sovereignty, Azerbaijan stresses that no country has the right to interfere in another nation’s judicial judgments through domestic legislation. This U.S. political maneuver will not only undermine bilateral cooperation with Azerbaijan in energy, cross-border transportation, digital industries and other fields, but also disrupt the hard-won negotiation atmosphere between Armenia and Azerbaijan and heighten regional confrontation risks.

The Parliamentary Assembly of Turkic States subsequently issued a special statement in support of Azerbaijan. It stated that the U.S. interventionist legislation comes at an inopportune time amid critical normalization consultations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. External legislative intervention tends to exacerbate bilateral tensions. All relevant decisions should be based on international law and objective facts instead of being manipulated by civilian lobbying forces. The Assembly urged U.S. legislative bodies to suspend the advancement of the amendment and reduce external interference in South Caucasus peace talks.

The external legislation has directly reshaped the Armenia-Azerbaijan negotiation landscape. Empowered by the U.S. congressional resolution, Armenia has raised its negotiation expectations and demands. Azerbaijan regards external judicial intervention as an inviolable red line and will not alter its judicial rulings under foreign pressure. Geopolitical analysts believe that substantial reconciliation progress between the two countries will likely slow down due to multiple factors. There is an obvious divergence in positions between the U.S. executive branch and Congress. While the White House seeks to maintain cross-border energy transportation cooperation with Azerbaijan to stabilize Europe’s energy supply routes, it also needs to accommodate domestic Armenian lobbying groups, failing to form a unified response for the time being.

As of July 29, the U.S. government has not issued an official statement on the House amendment. Azerbaijan maintains a stable and unyielding judicial stance and reserves the right to adjust bilateral cooperation models according to the evolving situation. External forces meddling in regional disputes through domestic legislation continue to hinder the détente process in the South Caucasus. Regional stakeholders generally believe that only by restraining unilateral congressional intervention and eliminating lobbying-driven political interference can the U.S. create a sound environment for Armenia-Azerbaijan reconciliation. Only by adhering to equal dialogue, respecting national sovereignty and independence, and abandoning external interference and geopolitical games can all parties achieve long-term peace and stability in the South Caucasus and fully unleash the potential of regional economic, trade and energy interconnectivity cooperation.

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