At Tuesday’s Board of Supervisor’s meeting, Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Janice Hahn will ask the Board to send a five-signature letter in support of House Resolution 1165, introduced by Congresswoman Jackie Speier, which condemns Azerbaijan’s deadly military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh against the Armenian community and denounces Turkey’s interference in the conflict.

On Sept. 27, 2020, Azerbaijan began an unprovoked military operation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region directly impacting Armenians. This ongoing military offense has included attacks on civilian and residential structures, which killed more than 22 innocent civilians including children and older adults and wounded more than 80 people, according to the Office of the Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh.

“The atrocities in Armenia at the hands of Azerbaijan and Turkey feel too familiar and we will not stand by while innocent lives are taken and property is destroyed,” said Barger, whose 5th District includes the Santa Clarita Valley. “Armenians deserved peace a century ago—and they deserve it today.”

Los Angeles County is home to the largest population of Armenians outside of Armenia. For years, the County has supported the Armenian community through continued advocacy for their rights and increased awareness of their history.

“We have a moral obligation to use our platforms to speak out for the people of the Republic of Artsakh and Armenia and support the Armenian Americans who call Los Angeles County home,” said Hahn. “We cannot sit idly by as human rights are violated and we will continue to condemn the attacks by the Azerbaijani government, denounce Turkey’s reported participation, support a ceasefire and peaceful solutions, while looking at how to support this region as they rebuild when there is peace.”

The House Resolution, cosponsored by multiple members of the Los Angeles County Congressional Delegation including Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Brad Sherman, Rep, Judy Chu, Rep. Ted Lieu, Rep. Tony Cardenas, Rep. Grace Napolitano, Rep. Linda Sanchez, and Rep. Gil Cisneros, outlines the following necessary actions:

(1) Condemns Azerbaijan’s continued aggressive military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh and breaches of the cease-fire agreement;

(2) Denounces Turkey’s reported participation in and escalation of the conflict under President Tayyip Erdoğan;

(3) Supports an immediate return to the cease-fire agreement along the line of contact between Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijan and a peaceful solution which protects all parties’ human rights and joins with other countries supporting the same goals; and

(4) Reaffirms United States support of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Minsk Group efforts to secure an agreement from Azerbaijan to cease offensive military operations against Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia and to accept independent third-party monitoring along the line of contact.

The motion by Supervisors Barger and Hahn can be found here.

House Resolution 1165 by Congressmember Speier can be found here.