By Bosphorus News Geopolitics Desk
Azerbaijan's parliament on July 24 condemned a U.S. House committee amendment calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Armenian detainees, warning that it could undermine the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process. The vote came as Washington continued to support the initialled peace agreement text and the planned Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, known as TRIPP.
Amendment carries no sanctions
The House Foreign Affairs Committee adopted Representative Brad Sherman's amendment to H.R. 9087 by 44 votes to seven. The text says Azerbaijan should immediately and unconditionally release all Armenian prisoners of war and political prisoners.
The provision is non-binding. It does not impose sanctions, order releases or automatically change U.S. policy. H.R. 9087 is a broader foreign affairs bill rather than legislation devoted solely to Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Sherman said the releases would support President Donald Trump's effort to secure lasting peace in the South Caucasus. Committee Chairman Brian Mast backed the revised text after a reference to Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act was removed.
Baku rejects the terminology
The Milli Majlis accused the amendment's supporters of relying on distorted allegations.
Azerbaijan disputes the terms "prisoners of war" and "political prisoners," saying the individuals concerned face proceedings over alleged war crimes, terrorism and other criminal offences. Armenian officials and advocacy groups contest that position.
The parliament also accused Sherman and Armenian-American lobbying groups of trying to steer U.S. policy against Baku. Its statement compared the initiative with earlier pressure associated with former Senator Bob Menendez.
The amendment drew support from both major U.S. parties.
White House and Congress take different approaches
The Trump administration has focused on the peace agreement, regional transport links and economic ties between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Members of Congress continue to press Baku over detainees, human rights and the consequences of Azerbaijan's 2023 military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Sherman argued that releases would help the negotiations. The Milli Majlis described the measure as one-sided pressure that could damage trust.
It used similar language in April when criticising resolutions adopted by the Belgian and Dutch parliaments, saying both chambers had misrepresented the detainees' legal status and interfered in the talks.
Final agreement remains unsigned
Azerbaijan and Armenia initialled the agreed text of a U.S.-brokered peace agreement in August 2025, but the document has not been formally signed or ratified.
Baku continues to demand the removal of language it regards as a territorial claim from Armenia's constitution. The disputed passage appears in the preamble through a reference to a Soviet-era declaration linked to the unification of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
Azerbaijani presidential adviser Hikmet Hajiyev said on July 16 that the two countries were living in conditions of "real peace," citing direct contacts and renewed trade. He said the constitutional issue remained the final obstacle.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has proposed a referendum, but his Civil Contract party lacks the parliamentary majority needed to call one without opposition support.
TRIPP expands Washington's role
The U.S.-supported corridor would cross southern Armenia and connect mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan and Türkiye.
Hajiyev said Baku had received positive signals that construction could begin in the autumn. Azerbaijan expects infrastructure reaching its southwestern Zangilan region to be largely completed by the end of 2026.
The route would create a new east-west connection through the South Caucasus. The amendment is non-binding and does not itself alter U.S. support for the peace agreement or TRIPP.
Sources: Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan, U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee documents, Armenian National Committee of America, Reuters, AnewZ, Bosphorus News review and reporting.