I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8141 

To provide for a review of sanctions with respect to Azerbaijan. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 26, 2024 

Ms. TITUS (for herself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. PALLONE, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 

MCCLINTOCK, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. 

CA ́RDENAS, Mr. VALADAO, Mr. HORSFORD, Ms. MALLIOTAKIS, Mr. 

COSTA, Mr. AUCHINCLOSS, Ms. MENG, Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. STEVENS, Mr. 

PAPPAS, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. LAWLER, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. LEE

of Nevada, Mr. AMO, Mr. MENENDEZ, and Mr. SHERMAN) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 

and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be 

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To provide for a review of sanctions with respect to 

Azerbaijan. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Azerbaijan Sanctions 

5 Review Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijan 

4 launched a military assault on Nagorno-Karabakh, 

5 resulting in the forced displacement of the region’s 

6 entire Armenian population following a 10-month 

7 blockade of the Lachin Corridor, which deprived Ar8 menian civilians access to food, fuel, medicine and 

9 other essential goods. 

10 (2) Azerbaijan’s blockade and forced displace11 ment of Nagorno-Karabakh’s Armenians followed a 

12 major escalation of the conflict during the 2020 

13 Nagorno-Karabakh War, during which Azerbaijani 

14 military and government officials named in section 

15 2(b) have committed war crimes and serious human 

16 rights violations, including the extrajudicial killing of 

17 Armenian civilians and prisoners of war; the arbi18 trary detention, forced disappearances, and torture 

19 of Armenian civilians and prisoners of war and other 

20 captives; and the deliberate targeting of civilian pop21 ulations. 

22 (3) Azerbaijan’s continued detainment, torture, 

23 extrajudicial execution, and other serious human 

24 rights violations against prisoners of war and cap25 tured civilians calls into serious question their comVerDate Sep 11 2014 07:44 May 15, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8141.IH H8141

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1 mitment to human rights and ability to negotiate an 

2 equitable, lasting peace settlement. 

3 (4) Reporting conducted in September 2022 by 

4 the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of 

5 Racial Discrimination expressed deep concern over 

6 ‘‘[a]llegations of severe and grave human rights vio7 lations committed during the 2020 hostilities and 

8 beyond by Azerbaijani military forces against pris9 oners of war and other protected persons of Arme10 nian ethnic or national origin—including 

11 extrajudicial killings, torture and other ill-treatment 

12 and arbitrary detention’’. 

13 (5) The Department of State’s Country Reports 

14 on Human Rights Practices released in April 2024 

15 documented ‘‘credible reports of: unlawful or arbi16 trary killing; torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrad17 ing treatment or punishment by members of the se18 curity forces; harsh and sometimes life-threatening 

19 prison conditions; arbitrary detention;’’ and other 

20 concerns regarding the lack of due process in Azer21 baijani trials of Armenian civilians and 

22 servicemembers. 

23 (6) Human rights organizations have consist24 ently reported on Azerbaijan’s abuse of prisoners of 

25 war and other human rights violations, including a 


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1 report by Human Rights Watch in March 2021 that 

2 found Azerbaijani forces had abused ethnic Arme3 nian prisoners of war and subjected them to ‘‘cruel 

4 and degrading treatment and torture either when 

5 they were captured, during their transfer, or while 

6 in custody at various detention facilities’’. 

7 (7) In December 2021, an International Court 

8 of Justice ruling ordered Azerbaijan to protect from 

9 violence and bodily harm Armenians detained during 

10 and since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War. 

11 (8) At least 90 prisoners of war and hostages 

12 are still detained illegally by Azerbaijan as of No13 vember 2023 according to the Armenian Govern14 ment, with independent observers noting that the 

15 true number of detainees is likely much higher given 

16 the many individuals still missing, and the limited 

17 information available due to Azerbaijan’s misrepre18 sentation of their status in an attempt to justify 

19 their continued captivity. 

20 (9) Following Azerbaijan’s offensive in 2023, 

21 numerous high-ranking Armenian officials in 

22 Nagorno-Karabakh were arrested and detained by 

23 Azerbaijan, including Ruben Vardanyan, Davit 

24 Manukyan, Davit Babayan, Levon Mnatsakanyan, 


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1 Arkadi Ghukasyan, Bako Sahakyan, Arayik 

2 Harutyunyan, and Davit Ishkhanyan. 

3 (10) International humanitarian law requires 

4 parties to an international armed conflict to treat 

5 prisoners of war humanely in all circumstances. 

6 (11) It is a war crime to willfully kill, mistreat, 

7 or torture prisoners of war, or to willfully cause 

8 great suffering or serious injury to body or health. 

9 (12) In addition to being bound by customary 

10 international law, Azerbaijan is a party to the Gene11 va Conventions, the International Covenant on Civil 

12 and Political Rights (ICCPR), and the European 

13 Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) which strict14 ly forbid extrajudicial killings. 

15 (13) Despite its international legal obligations 

16 under the Geneva Conventions and repeated calls by 

17 the United States Government, Azerbaijan has not 

18 released all relevant persons and instead continues 

19 to detain new prisoners of war, hostages, and cap20 tured civilians, nor have those responsible for serious 

21 human rights violations and war crimes faced legal 

22 consequences. 

23 (14) Azerbaijan’s brutal repression of domestic 

24 political opposition is of grave concern for the 

25 human rights of Azerbaijanis. 


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1 (15) The detention and subsequent torture and 

2 ill-treatment of opposition leaders, activists, and crit3 ics of the Aliyev government like Dr. Gubad 

4 Ibadoghlu, a prominent scholar who taught in the 

5 United States and was recently released to house ar6 rest, raises fundamental concerns about due process 

7 and the integrity of the legal proceedings against 

8 him and others who express political dissent in Azer9 baijan. 

10 (16) On March 6, 2024, Azerbaijani authorities 

11 detained six journalists in Baku and accused them 

12 of unfounded smuggling charges as part of an ongo13 ing crackdown on independent media in Azerbaijan. 

14 (17) Azerbaijan is designated as ‘‘Not Free’’ by 

15 Freedom House due to the absence of political 

16 rights, civil liberties, and rule of law. 

17 SEC. 3. REVIEW OF SANCTIONS WITH RESPECT TO AZER18 BAIJAN. 

19 (a) DETERMINATION.—Not later than 180 days after 

20 the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall 

21 submit to the appropriate congressional committees a de22 termination, including a detailed justification, of whether 

23 any person listed in subsection (b) meets the criteria for 

24 the imposition of sanctions pursuant to— 


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1 (1) section 1263(b) of the Global Magnitsky 

2 Human Rights Accountability Act (22 U.S.C. 2656 

3 note); or 

4 (2) section 7031(c) of the Department of State, 

5 Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appro6 priations Act. 

7 (b) PERSONS LISTED.—The persons listed in this 

8 subsection, which includes officials of Republic of Azer9 baijan, are the following: 

10 (1) Lieutenant General Hikmat Izzat oglu 

11 Mirzayev, Commander of the Special Forces. 

12 (2) Lieutenant Colonel Elgun Aliyev, Chief of 

13 the Military Police. 

14 (3) Colonel Elshan Sanaev, Commander of Az15 erbaijani Military 218th Commando Brigade. 

16 (4) Lieutenant General Anvar Afandiyev, Com17 mander of Azerbaijani Ground Forces. 

18 (5) Major General Jeyhun Hasanov, Peniten19 tiary Service of the Ministry of Justice. 

20 (6) Ali Naghiyev, Chief of State Security. 

21 (7) Samir Nuriyev, Chief of Staff to President 

22 Aliyev. 

23 (8) Fuad Alasgarov, Assistant to the President 

24 for Law Enforcement and Military Affairs. 


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1 (9) Orhan Samadov, Office of the General Pros2 ecutor. 

3 (10) Vugar Guliyev, Office of the General Pros4 ecutor. 

5 (11) Ziya Masurov, Office of the General Pros6 ecutor. 

7 (12) Parviz Mirhashimov, Office of the General 

8 Prosecutor. 

9 (13) Babakhan Hasanaliyev, Office of the Gen10 eral Prosecutor. 

11 (14) Hamza Eldar Akbar oglu, Office of the 

12 General Prosecutor. 

13 (15) Alakbarov Valeh Hasan oglu, Office of the 

14 General Prosecutor. 

15 (16) Faiq Qaniyev, Judge at Baku Court on 

16 Grave Crimes. 

17 (17) Mirza Khankishiyev, Judge at Baku Court 

18 on Grave Crimes. 

19 (18) Ilham Mahmudov, Judge at Baku Court 

20 on Grave Crimes. 

21 (19) Eldar Ismayilov, Judge at Baku Court on 

22 Grave Crimes. 

23 (20) Javid Huseynov, Judge at Baku Court on 

24 Grave Crimes. 


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1 (21) Samir Aliyev, Judge at Baku Court on 

2 Grave Crimes. 

3 (22) Azad Madjidov, Judge at Baku Court on 

4 Grave Crimes. 

5 (23) Zeynal Agayev, Judge at Baku Court on 

6 Grave Crimes. 

7 (24) Sabuhi Huseynov, Judge at Baku Court 

8 on Grave Crimes. 

9 (25) Afgan Hajiyev, Judge at Baku Court on 

10 Grave Crimes. 

11 (26) Telman Huseynov, Judge at Baku Court 

12 on Grave Crimes. 

13 (27) Ali Mammadov, Judge at Baku Court on 

14 Grave Crimes. 

15 (28) Vusal Gurbanov, Narimanov District 

16 Court Judge. 

17 (29) Kamranov Hafiz, Narimanov District 

18 Court Judge. 

19 (30) Yusif Yusifov, Chief Investigator of the In20 vestigation Department for Combating Organized 

21 Crime, Ministry of Internal Affairs. 

22 (31) Abbasov Mirzali Abdulali oglu, Baku Court 

23 of Appeals. 


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1 (32) Major General Abulfat Rzayev, Main Or2 ganized Crime Department, Ministry of Internal Af3 fairs. 

4 (33) Mammadov Elchin, First Deputy Pros5 ecutor General. 

6 (34) Lieutenant Fuad Rafael oglu Nabiyev, 

7 Azerbaijan Ministry of Defence. 

8 (35) Elchin Guliyev, State Border Service of 

9 Azerbaijan. 

10 (36) Ilham Mehdiyev, State Border Service of 

11 Azerbaijan. 

12 (37) Vusal Sultanov, State Border Service of 

13 Azerbaijan. 

14 (38) Azad Alakbarov, State Border Service of 

15 Azerbaijan. 

16 (39) Ismayil Akbarov, State Border Service of 

17 Azerbaijan. 

18 (40) Ramin Bagirov, State Border Service of 

19 Azerbaijan. 

20 (41) Lieutenant Colonel Elgu ̈n Aliyev, Military 

21 Police Department of the Ministry of Defence. 

22 (42) Karim Valiyev, Chief of the General Staff 

23 of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. 

24 (43) Nemat Avazov, Director of the Investiga25 tion Department, Office of the Prosecutor General. 


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1 (44) Tagiyev Azer Heydar oglu, Nasimi District 

2 Court Judge. 

3 (c) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE4 FINED.—In this Act, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional 

5 committees’’ means— 

6 (1) the Committee on Foreign Relations, Com7 mittee on Appropriations, and the Committee on 

8 Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate; 

9 and 

10 (2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Com11 mittee on Appropriations, and the Committee on Fi12 nancial Services of the House of Representatives. 

Æ 


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