Trend, Azerbaijan
Jan 16 2009
PACE can pass declaration on deportation of Azerbaijanis from Armenia
16.01.09 16:49
Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 16/ Trend News, A. Huseynbala/ Azerbaijan’s
delegation to the Council of Europe (PACE) has designed declaration on
60th anniversary of Azerbaijanis deportation from Armenia.
`The declaration needs to be signed by over 20 MPs of at least five
countries so that to be recognized as the PACE document,’ members of
the Azerbaijani delegation to the PACE Ganira Pashayeva told Trend
News.
Azerbaijanis were deported from Armenia in four stages ` in 1948,
1956, 1987 and 1988. According to archive documents, over 1.5 million
Azerbaijanis were evicted from their historical lands, which are today
recognized as Armenia’s territory. Name of 698 Azerbaijani settlements
out of 940 were changed shortly after Armenia Soviet Republic was
established. Armenians changed names also after Azerbaijanis were
fully deported. The names of last 91 Azerbaijani settlements were
replaced with Armenian ones based on the order of Armenia’s former
President Levon Ter-Petrosyan dated Apr. 9, 1991.
The PACE winter session will start on Jan. 26.
Pashayeva said they will not face problems to get the declaration
adopted. `Because there are a lot a MPs who are aware of Armenia’s
genocide against Azerbaijanis and Armenian occupation.’
`The rights of deported nation’s to return to their homelands were
recognized during Stalin’s term of office. But Armenia has not yet
recognized rights of deported Azerbaijanis since 1948. Armenia has
violated rights of these people for over 60 years,’ she added.
Pashayeva said the declaration says the Council of Europe, whose
priority is human rights, should put pressure on Armenia to recognize
rights of Azerbaijanis which have been abused for 60 years. `The
declaration says due to world community’s indifferent attitude,
Armenia evicted Azerbaijanis from their lands in 1988 in an effort to
establish mono-ethnic state, the policy which the CE opposes today.’
Pashayeva said in the winter session they will also raise the issue of
genocide that Armenians committed against Azerbaijanis in Guba 90
years ago. `PACE President De Puig was terrified by the mass burial
site in Guba during his visit at the invitation of parliament’s
speaker Ogtay Asadov last year. We have designed a declaration and
video footagea as well on this issue,’ she noted.
Mass burial site was uncovered in Guba city of Azerbaijan during
construction of stadium in Apr, 2007. Experts say burial of people in
a disorderly manner shows that these people were subject to Armenian
genocide in 1918.
She said Azerbaijani MPs will also raise the issue of Russia’s ammo
supply worth $800 million to Armenia. `It means that Russia, CE
member, supports the policy of the country who has occupied
Azerbaijan’s lands. It contradicts international law,’ Pashayeva said.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry accused Russia of strengthening military
potential of Armenia, who occupied Azerbaijan’s lands, by supplying it
with ammunition worth $800 million.
The ammunition supply contradicts the UN Security Council resolution
of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Russia violates commitments not to
render support to any of the conflicting sides, Azerbaijan’s Foreign
Ministry said on Jan. 15.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov dismissed reports claiming
that Russia has supplied ammunition worth $800 million to Armenia.