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THOSE EVICTED FROM BAKU HAVE NO PLACE IN THE HOMELAND EITHER
[08:48 pm] 19 January, 2007
The eyewitnesses of the famous tragic events in Baku in 1990, as well
as the representatives of a number of organizations held a march to
Tsitsernakaberd today in order to pay a tribute of respect to the
innocent victims.
According to Arman Meliqyan, first foreign advisor of the NKR
President, about 500 thousand Armenians have been evicted from
Baku. 400 thousand of them have found refuge in Armenia and Karabakh;
the rest have left mainly for Russia. According to official data, over
20 thousand Armenians lived in Baku in Soviet times.
According to Mr. Meliqyan, today’s march testifies to the fact that
the refugees still claim their rights. «They have sent letters to the
Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Karabakh representing their
demands, particularly partial compensation in the form of settlement
in Karabakh. I think this is a realistic plan», Mr. Meliqyan said.
The former residents of Baku spoke about their problems. 67-year-old
Seda Gasparyan told about how she worked in the Russian military base,
`We could not leave the house. I have seen people beaten up many
times. Many of my Turkish neighbors helped us, brought us food and
other goods. I have even made a list of those people who left for
Moscow, and then Armenia’.
But even in the homeland the problems were not solved. `If in Baku I
had friends and neighbors who helped me. But here I’m totally alone
and homeless’.
Seda Gasparyan was evicted from the house where she lived for 12 years
as she wasn’t registered there. She has turned to the court 35 times,
but all in vain. Today she has no permanent shelter and lives in the
houses of neighbors, friends or relatives.