California Legislators Demand Trump Free Armenian Hostages, End Azerbaijan’s Impunity

Bipartisan CA Armenian Legislative Caucus letter demands White House action on Armenian hostages, Artsakh right of return, Genocide recognition

SACRAMENTO, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America-Western Region (ANCA-WR) welcomed a bipartisan letter, signed by more than 25 California state legislators, delivered by the California Armenian Legislative Caucus Foundation to President Donald J. Trump — demanding the release of Armenian hostages illegally held by Azerbaijan, the right of return for Artsakh refugees, an end to Azerbaijani occupation of sovereign Armenian territory, and the Trump Administration’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

“California’s legislators have sent President Trump an unambiguous message: Armenian hostages must be freed, Azerbaijan’s occupation must end, and Armenia’s sovereignty must be secured,” stated Oshin Harootoonian, Chairman of the ANCA-WR Board of Directors. “This bipartisan letter reflects the moral resolve of California’s more than one million Armenian Americans — the largest Armenian-American community in the nation. President Trump must act.”

This letter was led by California State Armenian Caucus Chairman Assemblymember John Harabedian, and joined by State Senators Bob Archuleta, Megan Dahle, Maria Elena Durazo, Sasha Renee Perez, and Suzette Matinez Valladares, as well as Assemblymembers Patrick Ahrens, Juan Alanis, Marc Berman, Lisa Calderon, Jessica Caloza, Damon Connolly, Robert Garcia, Jeff Gonzalez, Heather  Hadwick, Maggy Krell, Diane Papan, Celeste Rodriguez, Michelle Rodriguez, Chris Rogers, Pilar Schiavo, Nick Schultz, Jose Luis Solache Jr., Catherine Stefani, David Tangipa, and Rick Chavez Zbur.

“California has the largest Armenian community in the United States and one of the largest in the world, and we stand united in our call for justice, accountability, and lasting peace for the Armenian people. This letter reflects our continued fight to make sure that the voices of Armenian Americans are heard at the highest levels of government. We urge decisive federal action to uphold human rights and promote stability in the region,” said Assemblymember John Harabedian

Timed to coincide with California’s legislative floor sessions marking the 111th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the letter arrives just days before April 24th — the international day of Armenian Genocide commemoration — amplifying the community’s demand that President Trump properly acknowledge this crime.

Release of Armenian POWs, Political Prisoners, and Hostages

The letter calls for the full and unconditional release of all Armenian hostages illegally held by Azerbaijan, documenting that “Azerbaijan continues to hold Armenian civilians, soldiers, and former leaders of Artsakh captive… detainees include prisoners of war, civilians, former Nagorno-Karabakh officials such as Presidents, State Ministers, and the Speaker of the Assembly who have been held under fabricated charges and subjected to unfair mock trials and inhumane treatment in direct violation of international human rights laws.”

Withdrawal of Azerbaijani Forces from Sovereign Armenian Territory

The letter further addresses Azerbaijan’s continued military presence on sovereign Armenian lands, citing “a broader pattern of aggression perpetuated after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War” during which “Azerbaijan perpetrated egregious war crimes including execution of civilians, destruction of schools, homes and hospitals, deliberate targeting of churches and other Armenian Christian heritage sites, and the arbitrary detention and mistreatment of dozens of Armenian prisoners of war.”

Right of Return for Artsakh Armenians

The letter also addresses the dire circumstances of more than 100,000 Indigenous Armenians of Artsakh forcibly displaced by Azerbaijan’s genocidal ethnic cleansing, affirming that under international human rights law, refugees from Artsakh must be able to “return to their homes safely and rebuild their lives in peace.”

Preservation of Armenian Cultural and Religious Sites

The letter confronts the deliberate destruction of Armenian Christian heritage in Artsakh, documenting that Azerbaijan’s war crimes included “deliberate targeting of churches and other Armenian Christian heritage sites” — part of a systematic campaign to erase every trace of Armenian civilization from the region.

Sovereignty and Security of Armenia

The letter affirms that Azerbaijan’s aggression against Armenia represents a direct challenge to the international rules-based order, documenting that “the protection of human rights and the dignity of all people are fundamental to American values and foundational to the international rules-based order” — and calls on President Trump to ensure the sovereignty and security of Armenia, the world’s first Christian nation and a key ally in the region.

The letter also calls on President Trump to reaffirm the Armenian Genocide, noting that “genocide” is the valid definition of the mass killings and deportations of Armenians, and urging him to join Congress in using the term to advance historical justice.

Furthermore, the ANCA-WR formally calls upon the United States Government to use its full diplomatic leverage to press Turkey toward reparative justice for the Armenian Genocide. One hundred and eleven years after the systematic extermination of 1.5 million Armenians by the Ottoman Turkish Government, Turkey’s obligation as successor state to the former, remains undeniable yet unmet. That obligation includes the restitution of confiscated lands, properties, and assets; financial reparations for survivors’ descendants; and accountability through international legal mechanisms. The United States – which has recognized the Armenian Genocide – must translate that recognition into action, making clear to Ankara that normalization of relations and continued partnership carry with them an expectation of historical accountability. The ANCA-WR will continue to press this demand at every level of government until justice for 1915 is no longer deferred.