Aliyev security detail attacks peaceful protesters in Washington during “Board of Peace” summit

(Horizon Weekly / WASHINGTON DC) – Members of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s security detail attacked peaceful demonstrators in Washington, DC, outside President Donald Trump’s inaugural “Board of Peace” summit, prompting immediate calls for prosecution and congressional action.

Video footage shows Aliyev’s bodyguards violently assaulting protesters who had gathered to denounce his regime’s repression, the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s Armenian population, and the continued imprisonment of Armenian political detainees. The incident drew swift comparisons to the 2017 Sheridan Circle attack, when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s security forces assaulted Kurdish and Armenian protesters in the U.S. capital.

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) called on the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law. ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian described the attack as “Sheridan Circle 2.0,” stating that regimes that face no consequences at home export their violence abroad.

Members of Congress responded quickly. Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), along with Rep. Laura Friedman (D-CA), condemned the assault and demanded accountability, emphasizing that foreign strongmen cannot be permitted to unleash violence on American soil.

The attack took place amid renewed U.S.–Azerbaijan engagement and just days after Baku sentenced former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan to life imprisonment, while continuing to hold other Armenian detainees. At the Munich Security Conference, Aliyev publicly ruled out clemency for the imprisoned Armenians.

ANCA is urging Congress to advance legislation reviewing sanctions against Azerbaijani officials under the Global Magnitsky Act and to end presidential waivers of Section 907 military assistance to Azerbaijan unless concrete steps toward lasting peace are taken.