IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 537 
Promoting United States national security and foreign policy objectives 
through consolidation and strengthening of the rule of law and respect 
for human rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 26, 2017 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. MCGOVERN) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Promoting United States national security and foreign policy 
objectives through consolidation and strengthening of the 
rule of law and respect for human rights in the Republic 
of Azerbaijan. 
Whereas the Republic of Azerbaijan is a partner for the 
United States and its allies in combating terrorism, sup-
porting United States and allied operations in Afghani-
stan, promoting European energy security, and address-
ing other transnational threats; 
Whereas it is in the national security interest of the United 
States to advance respect for universally recognized 
human rights and rule of law as the foundation for just, 
peaceful, and prosperous relations among nations; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:26 Sep 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR537.IH
HR537
SSpencer on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 537 IH 
Whereas the United States and the Republic of Azerbaijan as 
members of the Organization for Security and Coopera-
tion in Europe (OSCE) and signatories of the Helsinki 
Final Act ‘‘recognize the universal significance of human 
rights and fundamental freedoms, respect for which is an 
essential factor for peace, justice and well-being nec-
essary to ensure the development of friendly relations and 
co-operation among themselves as among all States’’; 
Whereas, as an OSCE participating State, the Government of 
Azerbaijan has committed itself to work toward a stand-
ard of free and fair elections, yet since signing the Hel-
sinki Final Act in 1992 no election held in Azerbaijan 
has met the minimum requirements as determined by the 
OSCE; 
Whereas the Department of State’s 2016 Country Report on 
Human Rights Practices for Azerbaijan found that ‘‘au-
thorities limited the freedoms of expression, assembly, 
and association through intimidation, incarceration on 
questionable charges, and harsh abuse of selected activ-
ists and secular and religious opposition figures’’; 
Whereas the Department of State’s 2016 Country Report on 
Human Rights Practices for Azerbaijan further deter-
mined that ‘‘authorities arbitrarily arrested and detained 
activists, engaged in politically motivated imprisonment, 
conducted trials that lacked due process, and subjected 
activists to lengthy pretrial detention with impunity’’; 
Whereas a coalition of Azerbaijani nongovernmental human 
rights organizations in August 2017 documented 158 po-
litical prisoners in Azerbaijan; 
Whereas opposition leader and former Presidential candidate 
Ilgar Mammadov has been detained since February 2013 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:26 Sep 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR537.IH
HR537
SSpencer on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS
•HRES 537 IH 
and remains in jail serving a 7-year prison sentence in 
contravention of a European Court of Human Rights de-
cision calling for his release and determining the charges 
against him were intended ‘‘to silence or punish [him] for 
criticizing the Government’’; 
Whereas credible reports indicate that Azerbaijani authorities 
tortured, humiliated, and threatened 2 Azerbaijani youth 
activists into confessing to serious drug charges after 
they vandalized a public statue in May 2016 and were 
subsequently sentenced to 10 years in prison on the fab-
ricated drug charges; 
Whereas the Government of Azerbaijan since March 2017 
has blocked the websites of Meydan TV, the Azadliq 
newspaper, Turan TV, and the United States-sponsored 
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Azeri 
service, effectively stifling the country’s only remaining 
major sources of independent news following years of 
Government efforts to harass, coopt, and shutter inde-
pendent media sources in print, radio, and TV; 
Whereas, as of September 1, 2017, approximately 10 journal-
ists are in jail in Azerbaijan, the RFE/RL Baku Bureau 
remains closed by government order since 2014, and 
RFE/RL correspondent Khadija Ismayilova remains sub-
ject to a travel ban following her arrest, conviction, im-
prisonment, and release in 2016; 
Whereas independent Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli 
was abducted from Tbilisi, Georgia, on May 29, 2017, 
beaten, transported against his will into Azerbaijan, 
charged by Azerbaijani authorities with illegal border 
crossing and smuggling, and as of September 1, 2017, 
remains in pre-trial detention in Baku while those re-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
03:26 Sep 27, 2017
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR537.IH
HR537
SSpencer on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS