IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR KHOJALY EVENTS, LOOK FOR THEM IN AZERBAIJAN: ARTAK ZAKARYAN

19:21, 24 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan

Speaking at the Parliament today, Chairman of the National Assembly’s
Standing Committee on Foreign Relations Artak Zakaryan referred to
the Azerbaijani propagana campaign on the so-called “Khojaly” events:

“Azerbaijan’s costly propaganda in different corners of the world is
continuing its fraud march, which in these days is devoted to so-called
“Khojaly,” actually to the Aghdam events. What happened?

On February 26, 1992, Aghdam events took place, which are
interpreted as “Khojaly massacre” by Azerbaijan. During these events,
the Azerbaijani armed groupings ruthlessly shot down a number of
residents of Khojaly settlement in a territory under their control. In
order to overthrow President Muthalibov, the opposition Azerbaijani
National Front used the forced operation of Karabakh armed forces
aimed to suppress the Azeri shooting, as this was where capital
Stepanakert and surrounding areas were being shelled from. This is
also evidenced by President Ayaz Mutalibov in his interview on 2th
of April, 1992 to ” Nezavisimaya Gazeta.” Before the operation, the
Karabakh side, according to the norms of humanitarian law, informed
Khojaly authorities about planned operation and leaving a corridor
for the safe evacuation of Azerbaijani population.

After the tragic events in the territories controlled by Azerbaijanis
Azeri journalist Cnigiz Mustafaev photographed and filmed the dead
bodies which were not disfigured. The existing files confirm that
the Karabakh side physically was not able to access the territories
where the people were killed and the bodies were disfigured.

After the upheaval followed by Khojaly provocation, the Azerbaijani
new leadership headed by Abulfaz Elchibey, initiated a deliberate
falsification of the events to conceal his monstrous crime interpreting
it as “a massacre” of civilians by Karabakh forces.

This policy is being continued by official Azerbaijan till today. By
distorted propaganda of presenting Aghdam events as massacre of Khojaly
Azerbaijani authorities are trying to hit the international reputation
of two Armenian states, to impose the distorted interpretation of
the events on the international community to boost anti-Armenian moods.

I call on our partner parliamentarians from different states,
municipal and provincial councils to avoid the pitfalls of Azerbaijani
propaganda. Don’t buy into false information and fictitious events.

Keep clean the parliamentary agendas and don’t let the Azerbaijani
propaganda penetrate there. If you are looking for those responsible
for Khojaly events, so look for them in Azerbaijan.”