TO BAN KI-MOON: AZERBAIJAN COMMITS MASS KILLINGS OF ITS CITIZENS

Aysor
Feb 24 2010
Armenia

In connection with the anniversary of the mass killings and massacres
of the Armenian population in Azerbaijan’s cities of Baku and Sumgait,
Ambassador Karen Nazarian, Armenia’s resident representative to
the United Nations, has issued a message to UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-moon.

The statement refers to the crimes and acts of false interpretations,
made by the Azerbaijani officials, a spokesperson for Armenia’s
Foreign Ministry said.

"Azerbaijan keeps on representing itself as a victim of the so-called
‘Armenian aggression’, releasing fake and false information in relation
to the issues of those mass killings, including falsification of
evidences of the Azerbaijani sources of those years," said in the
statement.

Ambassador Nazarian appeals to the known interview of former president
of Azerbaijan, Ayaz Mutalibov. He quotes Ayaz Mutalibov’s saying in
relation to the issue of Khojaly, when former president says of the
opposition in Azerbaijan, which planned to overthrow the ruling regime
of Azerbaijan. Ayaz Mutalibov describes that despite the warnings by
the Armenian side on the upcoming attacks on Khojaly, the Azerbaijani
soldiers hadn’t let them evacuate via special corridor. Former
president said in his interview that the Azerbaijani opposition
committed massacres of the civil population of Khojaly village in
order to seize power.

Nazarian’s letter also contains the report by the Helsinki Watch, made
in September 1992. The Helsinki Watch reports appeals to the evidences
by the Azerbaijani population, who told that Azerbaijani soldiers shot
the civil population preventing them to reach the gate to the corridor.

"When met the peace and constitutional claims of people of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic for self-determination, Azerbaijan’s
government armed groups of pogrom-makers, who committed massacres of
the civil Armenian population of Sumgait.

"Becoming the first case of the crimes of such kind throughout the
Soviet Union, these mass killings were included in the case files
for trials.

"As soon as Azerbaijan received an independence [after collapse of
the Soviet Union], the county’s government released the convicted
defendant and even recognized them as national heroes.

"The Helsinki Watch report makes clear that all these developments
had a key objective to scare the Armenians, who lived in other regions
and towns of Azerbaijan.

"The 1988-1991 mass killings and crimes against Armenian population
of Kirovabad (Ganja) and other towns of Azerbaijan were more massive
and barbaric, and led to acts of genocide of Armenians. More that
half a million survived Armenians were objected to deportations,
losing their homes and property.

"These crimes were followed by armed attacks against people of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

"For the first, last and all the time it should become clear
that Azerbaijan itself launched a war of aggression against the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. Here in Armenia we believe that the best
solution in this situation is to restore the legitimate claims of the
people of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic to provide certain inalienable
right of nations to self-determination," said in the statement.