Azeris mark occupation of Karabakh town by Armenian troops

ANS TV, Baku
8 May 05

[Presenter] Thirteen years have passed since the occupation of Susa
[a town in Karabakh]. A ceremony sanctioned by the Baku mayor’s
office to pay tribute to the Susa martyrs was held in the Martyrs’
Avenue today. However, similar commemoration ceremonies scheduled to
take place in other districts of the country did not happen.

[Correspondent] About 125 men were killed on 8 May 1992 during the
occupation of Susa, the crown of Karabakh. More than 40 people went
missing or were taken hostage. Some 25,000 Azerbaijani people have
become internally displaced. Seventeen mosques, all monuments of
culture and history, were destroyed.

The ceremonies to commemorate Susa have been held in the Martyrs’
Avenue over the past 13 years. First, officials of the Susa executive
authorities and former residents of the town came to the avenue and
laid wreaths at the monument to the martyrs.

Our compatriots from all over the world together with activists from
for the sake of Azerbaijan movement came to the Martyrs’ Avenue. The
deputy chairman of the movement, Sabir Azari, said that the world
urges Azerbaijan to make compromises on the Karabakh settlement.
However, the fact that 30,000 Armenians live in Azerbaijan is already
a compromise, end of quote.

The tour of the Martyrs’ Avenue continued with visits by activists
of the Karabakh Liberation Organization, the Yeni Fikir [New Thought]
youth organization and the Yox [No] movement.