In a significant hearing on human rights in Azerbaijan, co-chair of the Tom Olinthos Human Rights Commission emphasized the urgent need for action against the Azerbaijani government's ongoing human rights violations, particularly under President Ilham Aliyev. The meeting, marking the one-year anniversary of the fall of Nagorno Karabakh, drew attention to the plight of political prisoners and the preservation of Armenian cultural heritage in the region.

The co-chair highlighted the lack of international response, particularly from the United States, to the humanitarian crisis faced by Armenians in Nagorno Karabakh. The hearing featured a distinguished panel, including Luis Moreno Ocampo, former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, who previously testified about the blockade of Artsakh. Ocampo described the blockade as a tactic of starvation, likening it to historical instances of using food as a weapon, and classified it as a potential act of genocide.

The meeting served as a platform for advocates, including leaders from the Armenian Church and various Armenian American organizations, to rally support for the rights of those affected by the conflict. The co-chair called for a unified effort from both the executive and congressional branches of the U.S. government to address these human rights abuses and ensure the right of return for displaced Armenians, aiming for a future of peace and freedom in Nagorno Karabakh.