IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 735 

Requesting information on Azerbaijan’s human rights practices pursuant to 

section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023 

Mr. SCHIFF (for himself, Mr. PALLONE, and Mr. COSTA) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Requesting information on Azerbaijan’s human rights practices pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. 

1 Resolved, 

2 SECTION 1. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON AZER3 BAIJAN’S HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES. 

4 (a) STATEMENT REQUESTED.—The House of Rep5 resentatives requests that the Secretary of State, not later 

6 than 30 days after the date of the adoption of this resolu7 tion, transmit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 

8 House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign 

9 Relations of the Senate, pursuant to section 502B(c) of 

10 the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(c)), 


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1 a statement, prepared in collaboration with the Assistant 

2 Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and 

3 Labor and the Office of the Legal Adviser, regarding Azer4 baijan’s human rights practices. 

5 (b) ELEMENTS.—The statement submitted under 

6 subsection (a) shall include the following elements: 

7 (1) All available information about the observ8 ance and respect for human rights and fundamental 

9 freedoms in Azerbaijan, including information con10 cerning alleged violations of internationally recog11 nized human rights by the Government of Azer12 baijan, including— 

13 (A) unlawful or arbitrary killings; 

14 (B) torture; 

15 (C) cruel, inhuman, or degrading treat16 ment or punishment of detainees; 

17 (D) political prisoners; 

18 (E) arbitrary arrest or detention; 

19 (F) restrictions on freedom of assembly, 

20 association, and movement; 

21 (G) pervasive problems with the independ22 ence of the judiciary; 

23 (H) forced disappearances; 

24 (I) serious restrictions on freedom of 

25 speech, expression, and the media; 


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1 (J) severe restrictions on political partici2 pation; 

3 (K) discrimination against women and gen4 der-based violence; 

5 (L) restrictions on religious freedom; 

6 (M) serious restrictions on internet free7 dom; and 

8 (N) existence of the worst forms of child 

9 labor. 

10 (2) A description of the steps that the United 

11 States Government has taken— 

12 (A) to promote respect for and observance 

13 of human rights in Azerbaijan and by the Gov14 ernment of Azerbaijan, including in the context 

15 of the conflict with Armenia and Artsakh 

16 (Nagorno-Karabakh); 

17 (B) to discourage any practices in Azer18 baijan that are inimical to internationally recog19 nized human rights; and 

20 (C) to publicly or privately call attention 

21 to, and disassociate the United States and any 

22 security assistance provided for the Government 

23 of Azerbaijan from, any practices described in 

24 subparagraph (B). 


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1 (3) An assessment from the Secretary of State, 

2 notwithstanding any practices described in para3 graph (2)(B), whether extraordinary circumstances 

4 exist that necessitate a continuation of security as5 sistance for Azerbaijan. 

6 (4) If such circumstances exist, a description of 

7 the circumstances and the extent to which security 

8 assistance should be continued (subject to such con9 ditions as Congress may impose under section 502B 

10 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 

11 2304)). 

12 (5) Other information, including— 

13 (A) an assessment from the Secretary of 

14 State of the likelihood that United States secu15 rity assistance (as defined in section 502B(d) of 

16 the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 

17 2304(d))) will be used in support of Azerbaijani 

18 activities related to the conflict with Armenia, 

19 aggression against Nagorno-Karabakh 

20 (Artsakh), and the blockade of the Lachin Cor21 ridor; 

22 (B) a description and assessment of the 

23 actions that the United States Government is 

24 taking to ensure end use monitoring protocols 


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1 for all weapons sold or transferred to Azer2 baijan; 

3 (C) an assessment of the impact of United 

4 States assistance provided to Azerbaijan over 

5 the past 10 years on the balance of power be6 tween Azerbaijan and Armenia, and on efforts 

7 to negotiate a durable and lasting peace settle8 ment between Armenia and Azerbaijan; 

9 (D) a description of the United States 

10 Government’s efforts to implement the Leahy 

11 Law in Azerbaijan and ensure that no units im12 plicated in gross violations of human rights re13 ceive United States assistance, including infor14 mation on units that have been rejected in the 

15 Leahy vetting process; 

16 (E) an assessment from the Secretary of 

17 State of whether ethnic cleansing or genocidal 

18 acts are taking place in Nagorno-Karabakh; 

19 and 

20 (F) a description of any actions that the 

21 United States Government is taking to imple22 ment sanctions, including sanctions under the 

23 Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability 

24 Act and section 7031(c) of the Department of 

25 State, Foreign Operations, and Related ProVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:56 Sep 28, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR735.IH HR735

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1 grams Appropriations Act, to hold accountable 

2 Azerbaijani officials responsible for gross viola3 tions of human rights or significant corruption. 

Æ 


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