Isn’t the situation in Baku worth mentioning?

A1+
19-01-2005

«We all will remain barbarians until the world accepts this genocide,»
said Hranush Kharatyan about the genocide which took place in Baku and
Sumgait fifteen years ago. Mr. Kharatyan, who is the consultant of
Armenia’s vice president, was in Tsitsernakaberd today to address the
crowd which had gathered for a commemorative ceremony on this
genocide’s anniversary. Zori Balayan told the man next to him, ”There
should be 500000 people here instead of 50.” Mr. Balayan had been
told that ex-inhabitants of Baku would arrive via three buses.
”Where are they?” he asked. At that moment, one of the journalists
of ”Haylur” said, ”Yes, they are not sparse. Moreover, their number
is growing,” referring to the presence of the chairman of the
writers’ union Levon Ananyan and the parishioner of Kanaker’s
St. Hakob church, Sahak Ter Sahakyan. They were the last to join the
meeting.

Zori Balayan began his speech by saying that it is not right to gather
every time, return to our duties, and gather again next year. ” I
don’t envy that the people of Azerbaijan may gather today and speak
Russian,” he added. Then he read his speech, in Russian, reminding
those present of what had happened in Soviet Azerbaijan fifteen years
ago.

Some of the young people present were participating in the meeting,
while others were smiling and laughing, standing apart from the
crowd. Also, Ina Akopova, one of the victims of the Baku genocide,
presented a statement during the meeting which said that the chief of
police of the Nasiminyan area of Baku had admitted that Akopova’s
sister had been the victim of assault of soldiers during the
emigration.