BAKU’S AGITATION FAKED DOCUMENT DISCLOSED
NKR MFA press service
Azat Artsakh Daily,
08 July 08
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
Regular anti-Armenian campaign concerning the events in the
settlement of Khojalu becomes more frequent in Baku. At that, the
official Azerbaijani propaganda does not disdain to use any methods
and means to display the Armenian side as a party responsible for
the tragedy. The NKR Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ press service
has recently disclosed one more agitation faked document of Baku,
which, via a forged photograph exposed in a number of the Azerbaijani
websites, tried to inject in the world public consciousness and the
consciousness of its own people another portion of poison of Armenian
phobia. It is interesting that some sites, for instance, the official
site of Azerbaijan on events in Khojalu () removed this
forged document from their site. However, in other sites including
the site of "Heydar Aliev’s Fund" (), which is very
respectable in Azerbaijan, the photograph shamelessly continues to
stand conspicuously. According to the Azerbaijani side’s intention,
the propaganda value of this photograph obviously lies in the fact
that besides a great number of corpses of civilians in the foreground
the outskirts of a populated area is seen in the background, which,
in principle, should add verisimilitude to Baku’s version on mass
killings of Azerbaijanis in Khojalu. Meanwhile, color version of the
abovementioned photograph absolutely refutes it namely the faces of
the deceased, their garments, etc.
In fact, this photograph is directly connected with the events
in Kosovo.
Namely as that the photograph along with a great number of the others
was exhibited in one Serbian, one Albanian, and in one specialized
German forum, in internet-page of reputable edition "New York Times"
etc. The NKR MFA press service reminds that on February 25-26,
1992, the Karabakhi side launched a military operation to release
the only airport in the republic which was under control of the
Azerbaijani-populated area (Khojalu) and to neutralize the weapon
emplacements of the enemy in Khojalu, from where since summer of
1991 the populated areas of Nagorno Karabakh have been regularly
exposed to attacks of the Azerbaijani special police squads, artillery
bombardments from "Alazan", "Crystall" and rocket facility of volley
fire "Grad". The release of the airport and neutralization of weapon
emplacements of enemy in Khojaly was of vital importance for the NKR
people. The subunits of the NKR Defense Army granted a corridor to
the peaceful population for safe and timely leaving the battle zone
and few days before the operation the Azerbaijani side was informed of
it. It is well-known that the NKR authorities informed the Azerbaijani
side of preparation for the neutralization of the Khojalu weapon
emplacements two months prior to the operation and that was repeatedly
confirmed by the officials of Azerbaijan, in particular, that time
president Ayaz Mutalibov. However, the leadership of Azerbaijan did
not undertake anything to help the peaceful population to leave the
battle zone. Moreover, a column of peaceful population was shot near
the border of Aghdam region, which was later on confirmed by Mutalibov,
who linked the crime with the opposition’s efforts to remove him from
the office by making him responsible for everything. The territory
where subsequently many corpses were filmed is 3 km far from Aghdam
and 11 km from Khojalu. Up to the fall of Aghdam (summer 1993) this
area was under permanent control of the Azerbaijani units, which
excluded the access of the Karabakh self -defense units there. Some
details of this military operation are so far shrouded in mystery and
namely using this circumstance official Baku tries to profit from it
to gain its political goals. It is noteworthy, that all the propaganda
is being carried out with pronounced anti-Armenian insinuations and
is used for forcing ethnic intolerance and hatred towards Armenians
among Azerbaijanis. Unfortunately, the topic of "Khojaly" remains to
be one of the cornerstones of the Azerbaijni domestic and foreign
information or rather misinformation policy within the context of
the Karabakh problem in general.