PRESS RELEASE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of Australia & New Zealand
10 Macquarie Street
Chatswood NSW 2067
AUSTRALIA
Contact: Laura Artinian
Tel: (02) 9419-8056
Fax: (02) 9413-1709
Email: armenian@idx.com.au

24 January 2005

REMEMBERING THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VICTIMS OF BAKU & AZERBAIJAN

Sydney, Australia – On Sunday, 23 January, 2005, a solemn requiem service
was held during the Divine Liturgy in memory of the many hundreds of
Armenians killed in the course of the pogroms in Baku, Sumgait and other
regions of Azerbaijan in January 1990. The commemoration of the victims was
observed by Armenian churches worldwide at the call of His Holiness Karekin
II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians.

In his sermon, His Eminence Archbishop Aghan Baliozian, Primate of the
Diocese of Australia and New Zealand remembered the tragic events that led
to the campaign of persecution directed at the Armenians of Baku. As
history shows, the sacrifice of life is not uncommon for the Armenian people
but the memorial of Armenian martyrs will remain forever in the fibre of the
Armenian identity. Archbishop Aghan called on the voices of power to
condemn and remedy the injustices that were executed upon the Armenian
victims of Azerbaijan.

The congregation was led in prayer for the repose of the souls of these
victims.