Əsas Səhifə Konsulluq Press-relizlər Azərbaycan Mətbuat Əlaqə

Press - Reliz Arxivi
 

• 10.04.2010   PRESS-RELEASE No- 09
 

• 26.03.2010   PRESS-RELASE No- 08 31 March Genocide. Special Edition
 

• 21.02.2010   PRESS-RELİZ No- 07 HOCALI SOYKIRIMI Özel Yayın
 

 
 
Press - Reliz
  1. ABOUT KHOJALY GENOCİDE - Bloody Memory


http://justiceforkhojaly.org/
http://www.hocalisoykirimi. com/

Khojaly was Azerbaijan settlement situated within the administrative borders of the Nagorno Karabakh region of the country, on the road Agdam – Shusha, Khankendi (Stepanakert) — Askeran near the only airport of the region. Its population constituted over 7 thousand people. Because of its communication advantage of harboring the civil airport just before the start of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict it had become shelter for refugee Meskhetian Turks fled the bloody inter-ethnic clashes in central Asia as well as Azerbaijani refugees deported from Armenia.

Late into the night of February 25, 1992 the city has become under the intensive fire from the town of Khankendi and Askeran already occupied by Armenian forces. At night from February 25 to 26 the Armenian armed forces supported by the ex-Soviet 366th regiment completed the surrounding of the town already isolated due to ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijani population of its neighboring regions. The joint forces have occupied the town which has been brought in rubbishes by heavy artillery shelling.
After all 150 people defending the town were killed by overwhelmed fire and by superior forces of advancing army regiments the remaining handful of the town’s defendants provided a humanitarian corridor for several hundreds of the town’s residents to escape their homes.
Under the heavy conditions the towns’ population moved into the darkness of night to be met at the middle of the route by ambush of Armenian forces and militia. Several thousands of fleeing civilians were ambushed at several points and being shelled by bullet rain tried to find refuge in the near-by forests and mountains terrain. However advances punitive teams of so called NK defense army after eliminating handful of policemen accompanying the refugees column reached out unprotected civilians to slaughter some, finish off others, having some bodies mutilated and scalped as the notorious karabakh war trophies.
In a few hours of night from 25 to 26 February 613 civilians were killed including 106 women, 83 children. 56 people were killed with outrageous brutality, 8 families were totally exterminated, 25 children lost both parents while 130 children lost at least one parent in a massacre which has become the most brutal punishment of civilians during
the whole 3 years of the conflict’s military phase.


2. THEIR ONLY «FAULT» WAS BEING AZERBAIJANIS

Eighteen years have elapsed ever since, but thinking of what happened at night on February 26, 1992, in one of the most beautiful corners of our country, Nagorno-Karabakh, still makes one’s flesh creep. On that horrific night recorded in black letters in history of the Azerbaijani people, the city of Khojaly was erased from the face of the earth with its peaceful residents brutally killed and tortured.
This bloody, uncivilized action was committed by Armenian armed groups supported by military personnel - including up to 40 officers and ensigns of Armenian origin - and equipment of the former soviet army’s motorized rifle regiment No366, then deployed in the city of Khankendi.
While thinking of what happened then, it is too hard to believe that it was committed by those, who call themselves human beings. Only monsters were capable to carry out such massive massacre killing 613 innocent people, including 106 women and 63 children and leaving 487 disabled. Besides, 1275 people, including the old, children and women, were taken hostage, and underwent severe torture and humiliation.
This is rough statistics given in the Statement the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic issued last year on the 15th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, one of the most monstrous crimes in the 20th century.
Human history recorded a number of genocide acts such as in Khatyn, Lidice and Oradour. But Khojaly is different: Armenian butchers even surpassed the fascists by aiming their arms against those they had been living side by side with for decades, in the same state.
Hundreds of true stories told by miraculously survived eye-witnesses, journalists and human rights activists to describe the Armenian barbarism, have appeared in a number of publications, including in those ordered by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
The stories give a horrific picture of tortured death of people, whose only fault was they were Azerbaijanis.
… Residents of the city were trampled by infantry fighting vehicles… They fired pointblank at the old, women and children, scalped and pulled out nails from captives, and put out eyes of the dead and cut their ears off…
Here are more concrete illustrations.
Sanubar Alakbarova (resident of Khojaly): - When fleeing through the forest to Aghdam, we were ambushed. I saw a lot of dead bodies piled up. My mother was shot dead. My daughters Sevinj and Hijran were wounded. A bullet hit me too. Young women and children were perishing on the snow…
Janan Orujov (resident of Khojaly): - They shot my son to death. He was 16. They took away my 23-year-old daughter with her twin babies, and my second 18-year-old daughter, who was pregnant…
Saria Talybova (resident of Khojaly): - …We were brought to Armenian cemetery. Four young Meskheti Turks, who had found asylum in our city, and three Azerbaijanis were sacrificed on the grave of an Armenian gunman. They cut the pour men’s heads off, and then began to torture and kill children before their parents’ very eyes. They used bulldozer to throw the dead bodies down the ravine. Armed with screwdrivers, they pricked out the eyes of two Azerbaijanis wearing national army uniform.
French journalist, Jean-Yves Junet:
- I had heard a lot about wars, about the cruelty of the Fascists, but the Armenians were worse, killing five- and six-year-old children, killing innocent civilians.
V. Belykh, reporter of Russian newspaper «Izvestiya»: «…From time to time, dead bodies exchanged to living hostages are brought to Agdam. It is worse than any nightmare: pricked eyes, cut ears and heads, scalps… There were bunches of dead bodies, which, evidently, had long been dragged along the ground by a fighting vehicle. Torture knows no limits…
Sunday Times: Armenian soldiers annihilated hundreds families.
Washington Post: «…The corpses of seven dead men were shown today, two of them children and three-women. 120 refugees are in Agdam hospital, many bodies are stabbed.»
Le Monde: «Foreign journalists in Agdam saw three scalped corpses with pulled out nails among women and children killed in Khojaly. This is not Azerbaijan propaganda but reality.»
«Times»: … «Many people were mutilated, and it was remained only the head of one little girl»
Outrage upon both the living and the dead was also confirmed by the Russian human rights center «Memorial», which registered the fact of scalping alive, and made examinations to find out the causes of Khojaly residents’ massive death.
Reading all this is enough to make one horrified...
«Crime in Khojaly can not be justified in public opinion», said Journalist of British TV R. Patrick, who visited the place of tragedy.
But look what is the attitude to the tragedy taken by notorious Armenian «ideologist» Zoriy Balaian, a doctor, who broke Hyppocrat’s oath, a journalist, who broke all rules of journalism ethics, inspirer and organizer of the acts of insanity which caused hundreds of ruined fates from both sides. Here is how he assesses the genocide of Azerbaijanis in Khojaly in his book Revival of Our Spirit published in 1996: «Every Armenian must be proud of this action.» What a scary words!
Even more shocking are revelations of the author, who lost his conscience and humanity, cited by our Russia-based compatriot Jafar Sadig in his collection Beyond the Statute of limitation: «When Khachatur and I entered one of the seized houses,» Balaian writes, «our soldiers nailed a 13-year-old Turk [Azerbaijani] to the window-frame. Then, Khachatur divided the boy’s dead body into parts and threw them at dogs. In the evening we did the same to another three kids. I did my duty as a man, who loves Armenians...»
It is possible to presume that he who committed and wrote with relish about that qualifying his action as doing a patriotic duty, is mentally sick. As for Balaian, he hardly needs specialized treatment. Wanted by the Interpol, he will probably be brought to court for stirring up inter-ethnic hostility, murders and other crimes against humanity.
These deliberate actions with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group prove, in accordance with international law, that what happened in the Azerbaijani city of Khojaly was an act of genocide, and along with tragedies mentioned above, must be recognized as genuine genocide.
Not only peaceful people of the planet, civilized nations and international organizations must be aware of this bitter truth but the crime committed against humanity must be given legal assessment. It should be noted that the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan saw all signs of genocide enshrined in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 9, 1948.
The Khojaly tragedy was a continuation of the policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide carried out by Armenian nationalists and their supporters against the Azerbaijani people for almost 200 years. The impotent and incompetent leadership of Azerbaijan of early 1990s, remained indifferent towards the bloody action making no effort to inform the international community about the massacre. They were not touched even by the fact that defenders of the city had not bowed down to the enemies but demonstrated heroism and devotion to the homeland in the battle with them.
Only after national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev returned to power, the truth about the scale and horrors of the crimes committed by Armenian nationalists against Azerbaijanis and strong demand to give legal assessment to that was brought to the international community. This course is being insistently continued by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.
Commemorating the innocent victims of the tragedy in Khojaly on these days of its 16th anniversary, the people of Azerbaijan once again with hope and belief call on the nations and peoples of the world as well as international organizations to defend truth and justice,
condemn the Khojaly genocide and bring its culprits, organizers and executors to account.
Crime must not remain unpunished!


3. CITY WIPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH FOR ONE NIGHT

The night from February 25 to 26, 1992, has been recorded in black letters in history of the Azerbaijani people. That night the Armenian armed formations with the support of military staff and armored technique of 366th motor-rifle regiment billeted in the city of Khankendi, the majority of staff of which were Armenians, have wiped the city of Khojaly off the face of earth.
As the acts of genocide in Khatyn, Lidice and Oradour, the Khojaly tragedy also became the bloody event added in history of civilization. This mass slaughter committed by the Armenian aggressors against the Azerbaijani people, has led to death of 613 people, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 old men. 487 people have been wounded, 1275 civilians were taken as hostages, and 150 people are missing up to know.
The evil deeds committed in Khojaly can be compared with nothing. As a result of this act of genocide, 8 families have been completely annihilated, the civilians were exterminated with unprecedented cruelty, and the prisoners were subjected to ruthless tortures.
In due time, the world press have written much about the Khojaly tragedy.
“The Sunday Times” (London), March 1, 1992: “The Armenian soldiers have annihilated thousand families”.
Newspaper “The Times” (London), on March 4, 1992: “Many corpses have been disfigured, and of the corpse of a little girl there remained only her head”.
“Izvestiya” (Moscow), March 4, 1992: ”The camera has demonstrated corpses of children with the cut off ears. The half of the face of a woman has been cut off. Men`s corpses were scalped”.
The newspaper “Financial Times” (London), March 14, 1992: “General Polyakov has informed that 103 servicemen of the Armenian nationality of 366th regiment remained in Nagorno Karabakh”.
The newspaper “Le Monde” (Paris): March 14, 1992: “The foreign journalists, who were in Agdam, saw among corpses of the women and children killed in Khojaly, corpses of three persons who were scalped and whose nails were pulled out. It is not propagation of Azerbaijanis, but the truth.”
“Izvestiya” (Moscow), March 13, 1992: “Major Leonid Kravets: I personally saw on a hill about hundred corpses. The corpse of a boy did not have a head. Everywhere were seen corpses of women, children and the old men, killed with special cruelty.”
R. Patrick, journalist of English TV Company “Fant Men News” (he was on the scene): “In the eyes of world community, it is impossible to justify the evil deeds in Khojaly.”
The Lebanese cameraman has confirmed that the well-off Dashnak community of his country sends to Karabah weapon and people.
According to the Russian human rights center “Memorial”, during four days 200 corpses of the Azerbaijanis killed in Khojaly were taken to Agdam, and was established the fact that tens corpses have undergone to abuse. In Agdam, the forensic medical examination of 181 corpses (130 men and 51 women, including 13 children) has been carried out. During examination it has been established that the cause of death of 151 people was bullet wounds, and of 20 people – missile wounds, 10 people have been killed with a blow on the head. The Center has also fixed the fact of scalping of the live person.
Magazine “Newsweek” (USA), March 16, 1992: “Last week Azerbaijan has again turned to a cemetery: there were a lot of refugees and disfigured corpses behind a mosque. They were simple Azerbaijani men, women and children from small settlement Khojaly in Nagorno Karabakh, taken by the Armenian military men on February 25-26. Many have been killed at attempt of flight by a shot at a distance, the corpses have been severely disfigured, and others were scalped. Members of the families of victims cried and mourned.”
The photographer of the “Reuters” Agency Frederic Lengein: “In the first lorry I have counted 35 corpses, and in the second corpses was even more. Heads of some corpses were cut off, and many were partially burned...”
”The Sunday Times” (London), March 1, 1992: “Thomas Goltz: The survived Azerbaijanis tell that the Armenian soldiers have shot or bayoneted more than 450 Azerbaijanis. Majority of them were women and children. Hundreds and even thousand people were missing or were lost. Last night 579 corpses have been brought to the Agdam mortuary. 29 corpses have been buried on a cemetery. Among seven corpses I saw corpses of two children and three women.
On one of the corpses there was a bullet wound in the breast, received from short distance. In Agdam hospital, there was a monstrous picture. Doctors have informed that the majority of 140 patients who have escaped from slaughter received missile wounds …”
“The Sunday Times” (London), March 8, 1992: “Thomas Goltz: Last week this district has disappeared from the map. Terrible news came to Agdam, the front-city of Azerbaijan, and mortuaries were overflowed with corpses… I was last western person who has visited Karabakh. It was January, and the people foresaw their bitter destiny. Defenders of Azerbaijan perished one after another. The survived said that the Armenian forces have started a ruthless massacre, shot on everything that moved. Some expressed their anger to foreigners. Mothers groaned: “Where is my daughter, where is my son? Raped... Cut off... Missing...”
The newspaper “Times” (London), March 2, 1992: “Anatoly Liven: Having landed on the hills of Nagorno Karabakh, covered with snow, we saw corpses everywhere. Distinctly it was seen that people have been shot, trying to seek safety in flight …”
The newspaper “Times” (London), March 3, 1992: “Anatoly Liven: Scattered on the hills of Nagorno Karabakh more than 60 corpses of women and children confirm the information on annihilation by the Armenian armies of the peaceful Azerbaijani population. Hundreds people were missing. The corpses of the Azerbaijani refugees scattered along hills and small plain, prove the slaughter committed by the Armenian militants past Wednesday …”
The “Channel 4 News” (Great Britain), March 2, 1992: “Two French journalists saw 32 corpses of men, women and children in civil clothes. The majority of these people were killed by shots in the head from short distance”.
The newspaper “Boston Sunday Globe” (USA), January 21, 1993: “Employee of Globe John Auerbach: “Intimidated children in camp of the refugees, the trucks overflowed with groaning mothers, hundreds of people who have turned pale for fear, thousand Azerbaijanis seek answer to a question: what for they search here for a refuge? What we saw was the result of regular destruction of each village on their way. What we saw was the event arousing outrage and hatred …”
The newspaper “Age”, Melbourne (Australia), March 6, 1992: “Helen Vomak: Exact number of victims is not known, however, there are no doubts that past week in snowy mountains of Nagorno Karabakh the civilians of the Azerbaijan village Khojaly have been exterminated by the Armenian troops. The Khojaly refugees in the Azerbaijan city Agdam in detail tell about how Armenians have attacked their houses on February 25, tracked down and killed those who ran and hid in wood. Having arrived on Tuesday in Agdam, we have seen newly dug-out 75 graves and four disfigured corpses in a mosque …”
“The Washington Post” (USA), February 28, 1992: “Refugees say that during attack of Armenians, hundreds people were lost. Today were found 7 corpses, including corpses of two children and three women, one of these people was killed by a shot in breast at short distance. 120 refugees with severe wounds are in Agdam hospital”.
“The Washington Times” (USA), March 2, 1992: “During an attack, by the Armenians have been killed or were missing hundreds Azerbaijanis. About 1000 inhabitants of Khojaly have been exterminated on Tuesday by the Armenian troops. Azerbaijan TV has demonstrated the trucks overflowed with corpses from Khojaly territory”.
“The Independent” (London), February 29, 1992: “Helen Vomak:” Elif Kaban of Reuters in Agdam informs that after yesterday`s massacre of civilians, Azerbaijanis bury the people who were lost during attack of Armenians on the city of Khojaly. “The world shuts eyes to the happenings here. We are killed, and you simply observe”, one of people shouted at group of journalists”.
The newspaper “Nie” (Bulgaria), Violetta Parvanova: “Khojaly – tragedy of humanity”.
“BBC Morning News”, March 3, 1992, “Our correspondent who has visited the scene has informed that he has seen more than 100 corpses of Azerbaijanis – men, women and children who have been killed by shots in the head at short distance”.
Eyewitness of Khojaly tragedy and resettled later in capital of Lebanon, Beirut, the Armenian journalist Daud Kheirian in the book titled “In the Name of Cross” writes (page: 62-63): “… having burnt the corpses, the group of Armenians on March 2 has collected and took corpses of 100 Azerbaijanis to the west from Khojaly. Among the corpses brought in last truck, I have seen a girl of 10 years. She was wounded in the head and hands. Her face has turned blue. Despite cold, hunger and wounds, she was still live. She very difficultly breathed. Her eyes were filled with fear of death. During this moment, Tigran, an Armenian militant, took the girl and threw on corpses. Then, they have set fire on all corpses. It seemed to me that among burning corpses someone was shouting. I could not do anything. Then, I have arrived in Shusha. And they have continued the war “for the sake of cross”.
The documents contain testimonies of witnesses of the Khojaly genocide.
Heydarov Jamal: “In two kilometers from a farm near Garagaya area there was a significant amount of the disfigured corpses of Azerbaijanis. The killed children`s breast has been ripped up, and hearts were pulled out, the majority of corpses were chopped up on pieces”.
Heydarov Shahin saw near the village Nakhchivanik (Khojaly) about 80 corpses that were in terrifying condition and the heads have been chopped off. Among the killed there was also major of militia Alif Hajiyev, his close relative Fakhraddin and Mikail Salimov.
Humbatov Jalil. On his eyes Armenians have shot his wife Firuza, his son son Mugan, his daughter Simuzar and daughter-in-law Sudaba.
Pashayeva Kubra, having entered into Ketik wood, she has appeared in encirclement of Armenians. When she hid in a bush, she saw execution of her husband Pashaev Shura and her son Pashaev Elshad.
Amirova Khazangul. During capture of Khojaly the Armenian insurgents took all her family as hostages. Armenians have shot her mother Raya, her 7-year-old sister Yegana and aunt Geyche, have poured gasoline and burnt her father Amirov Tevekkul.
Aliyeva Zoya with 150 people within three days was in wood. In wood, Ahmedova Dunya and her sister Gulkhar have frozen in her eyes.
Mustafayeva Kubra: “As soon as Armenians took us as hostages, they fired at us - me and six other people.”
Kerimova Saida: “We have been taken hostage together with 12 people. Armenians have subjected to tortures and killed my daughter Nazaket, as well as Tapdig, Saadat and Irada”.
Najafov Ali: “Armenians surrounded the escaping people and shot 30-40 persons”.
Since 1994, on the initiative of the national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, the government and parliament of Azerbaijan carried out consecutive measures to inform the world states and international community all scale and horror of the crimes committed by the Armenian nationalists against Azerbaijanis, including the truth on the Khojaly genocide, to achieve their recognition as genocide. Now, this work is continued by President Ilham Aliyev.
Special role in distribution to the countries of the world of numerous booklets and the video data narrating on the truth about Khojaly, belongs to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan has declared February 26 as the “Day of Khojaly genocide”. This day all Azerbaijan honors memory of the victims of tragedy.
Peaceful people of the planet, the civilized states, the influential international organizations and world community should know this bitter truth committed against humanity and should give legal assessment.
According to international law, the genocide is the act committed against the world and civilization, and is considered the heaviest international crime. The Convention on prevention and punishment of the culprit of the crime of genocide, the Resolution of UN General Assembly # 260 (III) dated December 9, 1948, which came into effect in 1961, contain legal characteristics of the crime of genocide. During aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, all the above-noted actions making the crime of genocide took place. The policy of terrorism carried out by this aggressive country throughout many years, occurs in the face of world community. However, according to the norms of international law, principles of the United Nations and OSCE, it is necessary to respect inviolability of borders of the states, and is inadmissible violation of their territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The United Nations Security Council has accepted four resolutions on unconditional liberation of the occupied lands of Azerbaijan, but aggressive Armenia still ignores them.
Today, the inhabitants of Khojaly ousted from their homelands address the people and world states, the international organizations to support truth and justice, and condemn the genocide committed in Khojaly.
Culprits of the Khojaly genocide which is one of the bloodiest tragedies of the XX century
should incur the deserved punishment. History forgets nothing.
Khalid Mammadov AzerTAc Correspondent

Consulate General of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Press Servıce