— ANCA Eastern Region applauds the leadership of State Senator Andy Zay, who championed the measure demanding accountability for genocide against Armenian Christians
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Indiana’s State Senate has adopted a resolution urging the U.S. to hold Azerbaijan accountable for the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), reports the ANCA Eastern Region (ANCA ER).
Senate Concurrent Resolution 32 (SCR 32), authored by State Senator Andy Zay (R-Huntington) and cosponsored by Rep. Lorissa Sweet and Rep. Hunter Smith, recognizes Azerbaijan’s persecution of Christian Armenians in the Artsakh Republic as an act of ethnic cleansing, and urges Indiana’s congressional delegation to end U.S. support for Azerbaijan through the enforcement of prohibitions on military assistance under Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act.
“Indiana has always been committed to protecting human rights and religious freedom,” Senator Zay said in a statement following the resolution’s passage in the Senate. “People should be able to freely practice their religion without fear of persecution. SCR 32 sends a message that this belief is upheld globally, not just in our great nation. It is an honor to champion this resolution that means so much to many members of our community.”
SCR 32 also calls for Global Magnitsky sanctions to be imposed against Azerbaijani officials responsible for war crimes, urges the United States to secure the immediate and unconditional release of the 23 illegally detained Armenian prisoners of war and political captives, and reaffirms the fundamental right for Artsakh’s Armenians to return to their homes under safe and secure conditions.
In remarks on the Indiana Senate floor in April, Sen. Zay cited the Ottoman Turkish Government’s genocide, resulting in the death of 1.5 million Armenians. “Today, the Christian Armenian population of Artsakh has been wiped out – forcibly removed by the government of Azerbaijan,” stated Senator Zay. SCR 32 calls Azerbaijan’s actions “a final step to the genocide of the Armenians of Artsakh.”
Video of State Senator Zay’s remarks is available here:
https://youtu.be/DDq2FrbimAE
“We thank Senator Zay for his principled leadership on this critical effort to condemn Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s indigenous Christian Armenian population,” said ANCA Eastern Region advocate David Krikorian. “This resolution sends a clear message to our Congressional leaders that the U.S. must hold Azerbaijan accountable for its atrocities, which represent an affront to our values as Armenians and proud Americans. We look forward to continuing to work with Senator Zay and Indiana’s congressional delegation to ensure a just, durable, and dignified peace in the South Caucasus.”
Senator Zay recently presented his resolution at a community fundraiser for ANCA-endorsed Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, reiterating his call for Azerbaijan to be held accountable for its persecution of Christian Armenians.
The full text of SCR 32, and its Senate counterpart (SR 74), are available here:
https://iga.in.gov/pdf-documents/124/2025/senate/resolutions/SC0032/SC0032.03.COMS.pdf
