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Considering the Armenian leadership, including their Foreign Ministry, are suffering from institutional memory disorder or amnesia, it would be better to remind the [Armenian side] of a statement which Armenia’s then-Defense Minister and current President Serzh Sargsyan once made to British journalist Thomas de Waal, said Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman for Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry,APA reports.
“On page 172 of the book “Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan through Peace and War” by Thomas de Waal, Sargsyan’s statement is quoted as follows: “[b]efore Khojali, the Azerbaijanis thought that … the Armenians were people who could not raise their hand against the civilian population. We were able to break that [stereotype].” Thomas de Waal in a statement even said that he has a voice record of this interview,” said Hajiyev.
“On pages 213-214 of his book titled “My Brother’s Road”, Markar Melkonian, brother of Armenia’s national hero, terrorist Monte Melkonian, would later describe in his book how some residents of Khojaly had nearly reached safety after fleeing almost six miles but “[Armenian] soldiers chased them down”. The soldiers, he continues, “then unsheathed the knives they had carried on their hips for so long, and began stabbing””, he added.
The spokesman noted that in accordance with modern international law, both the Republic of Armenia and members of this country’s military-political leadership bear responsibility for the Khojaly genocide, which is a crime against humanity.
“If military and political leaders of Armenia find the courage to give a testimony, and if an international tribunal on the Khojaly genocide is convened, it will be possible to present more detailed facts proving Armenian leaders’ criminal responsibility, including statements of witnesses and judicial expertise reviews within the investigation carried out by the prosecuting authorities of Azerbaijan,” added Hajiyev.