Group of American lawmakers plan to introduce first-ever Azerbaijan  Sanctions Review Act this week

ArmInfo.A bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers led by Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) 

is planning to introduce the first- ever Azerbaijan Sanctions Review Act this week, Turan reports  citing its sources in Congress

According to the source, The draft bill, obtained by TURAN on Sunday, 

would lead to the sanctioning of over 40 Azeri officials who have 

played an active and chief role in undermining the rule of law and 

human rights in the country.

The bill would require the Biden administration to determine within 

180 days of its passage whether a list of Azeri officials included in 

the bill qualify for sanctions under existing U.S. legislations 

including the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, as 

well as the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs 

Appropriations Act.

The ''Azerbaijan Sanctions Review Act of 2024'' highlights the Aliyev 

government's brutal repression of domestic political opposition as 

"grave concern" for the human rights of Azerbaijanis.  "The detention 

and subsequent torture and ill-treatment of opposition leaders, 

activists, and critics of the Aliyev government like Dr. Gubad 

Ibadoghlu, a prominent scholar who taught in the United States, 

raises fundamental concerns about due process and the integrity of 

the legal proceedings against him and others who express political 

dissent in Azerbaijan," reads the draft bill.

The authors go on to highlight that on March 6, 2024, Azerbaijani 

authorities detained six journalists in Baku and accused them of 

unfounded smuggling charges as part of an ongoing crackdown on 

independent media in Azerbaijan.

The bill also speaks about Armenian prisoners, noting that 

Azerbaijan's "continued detainment, torture, extrajudicial execution, 

and other serious human rights violations against prisoners of war 

and captured civilians calls into serious question their commitment 

to human rights and ability to negotiate an equitable, lasting peace 

settlement.

The list of Azerbaijani high-ranking officials to be sanctioned in 

the bill includes a cross-section of government ministers, judges and 

prosecutors at all levels responsible for the ongoing political 

persecution of Azerbaijan's pro-democracy activists.  Here's the full 

list from the draft bill, which TURAN's sources described on Sunday 

as "not necessarily complete":  1. Lieutenant General Hikmat Izzat 

oglu Mirzayev, Commander of the Special Forces.  2. Lieutenant 

Colonel Elgun Aliyev, Chief of the Military Police.  3. Colonel 

Elshan Sanaev, Commander of Azerbaijani Military 218th Commando 

Brigade.  4. Lieutenant General Anvar Afandiyev, Commander of 

Azerbaijani Ground Forces.  5. Major General Jeyhun Hasanov, 

Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice.  6. Ali Naghiyev, 

Chief of State Security.  7. Samir Nuriyev, Chief of Staff to 

President Aliyev.  8. Fuad Alasgarov, Assistant to the President for 

Law Enforcement and Military Affairs.  9. Orhan Samadov, Office of 

the General Prosecutor.  10. Vugar Guliyev, Office of the General 

Prosecutor.  11. Ziya Masurov, Office of the General Prosecutor.  12. 

Parviz Mirhashimov, Office of the General Prosecutor.  13. Babakhan 

Hasanaliyev, Office of the General Prosecutor.  14. Hamza Eldar Akbar 

oglu, Office of the General Prosecutor.  15. Alakbarov Valeh Hasan 

oglu, Office of the General Prosecutor.  16. Faiq Qaniyev, Judge at 

Baku Court on Grave Crimes.  17. Mirza Khankishiyev, Judge at Baku 

Court on Grave Crimes.  18. Ilham Mahmudov, Judge at Baku Court on 

Grave Crimes.  19. Eldar Ismayilov, Judge at Baku Court on Grave 

Crimes.  20. Javid Huseynov, Judge at Baku Court on Grave Crimes.  

21. Samir Aliyev, Judge at Baku Court on Grave Crimes.  22. Azad 

Madjidov, Judge at Baku Court on Grave Crimes.  23. Zeynal Agayev, 

Judge at Baku Court on Grave Crimes.  24. Sabuhi Huseynov, Judge at 

Baku Court on Grave Crimes.  25. Afgan Hajiyev, Judge at Baku Court 

on Grave Crimes.  26. Telman Huseynov, Judge at Baku Court on Grave 

Crimes.  27. Ali Mammadov, Judge at Baku Court on Grave Crimes.  28. 

Vusal Gurbanov, Narimanov District Court Judge.  29. Kamranov Hafiz, 

Narimanov District Court Judge.  30. Yusif Yusifov, Chief 

Investigator of the Investigation Department for Combating Organized 

Crime, Ministry of Internal Affairs.  31. Abbasov Mirzali Abdulali 

oglu, Baku Court of Appeals.  32. Major General Abulfat Rzayev, Main 

Organized Crime Department, Ministry of Internal Affairs.  33. 

Mammadov Elchin, First Deputy Prosecutor General.  34. Lieutenant 

Fuad Rafael oglu Nabiyev, Azerbaijan Ministry of Defence.  35. Elchin 

Guliyev, State Border Service of Azerbaijan.  36. Ilham Mehdiyev, 

State Border Service of Azerbaijan.  37. Vusal Sultanov, State Border 

Service of Azerbaijan.  38. Azad Alakbarov, State Border Service of 

Azerbaijan.  39. Ismayil Akbarov, State Border Service of Azerbaijan.  

40. Ramin Bagirov, State Border Service of Azerbaijan.  41. 

Lieutenant Colonel Elgun Aliyev, Military Police Department of the 

Ministry of Defence.  "