QUOTE OF THE DAY
Elizabeth JONES, Assistant Secretary of State of the USA:
“The US policy toward Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not changed. The USA does not recognize Nagorno-Karabakh as independent state and its leadership is not recognized by international community and the United States. The US supports territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and holds an opinion that the status of Nagorno-Karabakh should be defined through negotiations between the parties of the Minsk process.”
From interview to journalists in Moscow, 15 January 2005
Mohammad KHATAMI, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran:
“As to the Karabakh issue, I can say that our position on this matter is clear. We are one of few states fully supporting Azerbaijan’s position on this issue… We support territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and its authority in this territory… We maintain relations with both countries. However, we will never agree, nor admit that Azerbaijan’s interests, even slightly, are damaged.”
Answering the question of a journalist during the briefing in Tehran, 24 January 2005
Mercourios KARAFOTIAS, ambassador of Greece to Azerbaijan:
“Greece supports just position of Azerbaijan in the settlement of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and advocates the solution of the problem on the basis of international law, within territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.”
During the talk to the speaker of Azerbaijan Milli Majlis, 11 January 2005
David ATKINSON, rapporteur of the Council of Europe on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict:
“Self-determination principle cannot be applied to Nagorno-Karabakh. When Azerbaijan joined the Council of Europe, this organization recognized its territorial integrity. CE as well as other international organizations cannot recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
From interview to BBC, January 2005
“We aided the Armenians as our brothers”
The honored constructor of Azerbaijan Emil Akhundov remembers how he participated in the liquidation of the consequences of the earthquake in Armenia
(Beginning in previous issues)
Every evening, the HQ for the liquidation of the earthquake consequences convened in Leninakan. The heads of KGB, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Health and other Soviet Union ministries and agencies were members of the HQ. Every day, a team of workers from each republic gave a report on the results of its work: how many corpses are found and taken out of the debris, and how many are planned to. “There, I met with Ajdar Aliyev and first Deputy Minister of Special Assembling Works Shamil Musayev. I have a coat in memory of him, and there are following words on its sleeve: ‘Minmontajspetsstroy’…” This coat saved Emil’s life.
“Once, I left for Yerevan to make a phone call home. It was impossible to call from Leninakan because the city was destroyed. I came to a call office accompanied by a driver. At that time, I wore a cap with earflaps, boots, with a knife in one of which and the coat with ‘Minmontajspetsstroy’ note on it.” The workers, who had arrived to help the Armenians in their sorrow, as well as the Armenians, who were calling their relatives, were standing near the booths with the names of different cities of the USSR. There were especially more people near the Baku booth. The Armenians from Baku, standing there, were calling their neighbors in Baku to find out the fate of their relatives. They were telling loudly all the visitors of the call office about the Azerbaijani “atrocities” over them.
A beautiful woman wearing a kid coat with fur was distinguished among the crowd. She came there with her daughter. They used to live near “26 Baku commissars” metro station. According to them, the Azerbaijani took their apartment, villa, and they had to flee wearing what they managed to put on. Their talk was supported by a small Armenian wearing a dermatin cap. In Baku, he used to work as a constructor in the factory named after lieutenant Schmidt. “These Turks cut the head of my sister, and now they demand from me money for giving her corpse,” he was crying out. Here, I could not tolerate any longer. Having opened my passport, I came up to the woman and that Armenian. They read in the passport that I am an Azerbaijani and calm down. I ask the woman: “Shame on you. You are so beautiful, where did you get such hatred?” And I recommended that constructor from the lieutenant Schmidt factory to call to Baku and find out if his sister’s corpse was in Baku at all. At that moment, three tall bearded men, being in Armenian mourning, started to approach me. I moved back to wall stretching my hand to the knife giving eye signals to the driver “start the car.” At that moment, one of the Armenians, attacking me, said: “What is written on your coat – ‘Minmontajspetsstroy’?” I nodded. The Armenian unbent. It turned out that he was working there. His name was Hamlet; he was a driver of “Azsantekhmontaj” trust manager Rafig Hajiyev.
“What happened to you, Hamlet? Whom have you shared bread for so many years?” I asked. He hung his head and told me in the Azeri “gach” (i.e. “run” – ed.) while holding the other two Armenians. Thanks to Hamlet I managed to escape from that place,” Emil Akhundov says.
The constructor also remembers another incident. “In Leninakan, we set up a mobile power station (PES-15). It moved around Amasi region and gave provided food for the dwellers of the region irrespective of their nationality. However the nationalists destroyed this dining facility by the instruction of the leadership of the Ministry of Culture of Armenia.”
The following day, I gave a speech in a daily session in Leninakan talking of the work done. When I finished my report, B.Y. Sherbin asked me: “Why you do not tell us what these ‘heroes of Karabakh’ have done to you?” Having said these words he turned to the Armenians an said: “Karabakh, Karabakh! In front of you are sitting people, who assisted in your sorrow, set up a dining facility for you, restore your houses and save your people. And you pay them with base ingratitude,” the honored constructor remembers.
“We stayed in Leninakan for 45 instead of 13 days. Every day, the Armenians organized diversions: filled the oil tanks up with sand, wrecked the equipment and threatened our workers.”
“There was not any Republic, in which cases of marauding were not confirmed during the session in Leninakan. The constructors are also people: if they find gold, jewelry, money and bonds, they misappropriate it. Nevertheless, none of such cases was confirmed in our delegation. We were awarded with honors and medals. I was awarded with the order of ‘Friendship of peoples.’ The decree about it was signed by Mikhail Gorbachev, and the chairman of Azerbaijan Communist Party Abdurrahman Vazirov gave it tome,” the constructor remembers.
But probably this order is as important for Emil Akhundov as a diploma given to the delegation of the Azerbaijani special mechanized team headed by him “For fraternal aid, bravery and selflessness demonstrated during emergency restoration works for the liquidation of the consequences of the earthquake in Armenia.”
It is also worth to mention the history of receiving this diploma. “We finished our work. By that time, Oleg Ivanovich Lobov replaced B.Y. Sherbin in the position of the chief of the HQ for the liquidation of the earthquake consequences. In one of the sessions in Leninakan, he informed about the SUCP CC Politburo’s proposal to give honors diplomas to the more distinguished teams. The representatives from 120 territories and regions of the USSR were sitting in the hall. Three teams were awarded: we, the teams from Russia and the Ukraine,” E.Akhundov. According to him, this document should have been signed by two persons: O.I. Lobov and first secretary of Leninakan RC of CPA M.L. Mkrtchan.
Oleg Ivanovich signed the document with pleasure and handed it over to M.L. Mkrtchan. The latter refused to sign it. Then Emil Akhundov gave a speech. “When I saw the scales of the tragedy that happened in Leninakan, Spitak and Amas, the division into Azerbaijanis and Armenians disappeared for me. In front of us were people, whom we must help. We shared bread, houses and clothes with them. If, Lord forbid, such tragedy happens here again, the Azerbaijanis will be among the first to come for aid,” he said. The hall applauded after these words; Mkrtchan had to sign the diploma.
From Echo newspaper
ARMENIAN TRACE IN RUSSIAN ENCYCLOPEDIC EDITIONS
Arif HUSEYNOV, winner of Hasanbay Zardabi award
(Beginning in previous issue)
The Russian encyclopedic editions also contain information about the Azerbaijani territories occupied by the Armenians. The compilers sticking to their pro-Armenian positions demonstrate their adherence to double standards here, too. The fact of aggressive acts of the Armenians is thoroughly concealed from a Russian reader, and the historical information is colored in black or white not from the point of view of scientific authenticity, but from the Armenian “point of view.”
Cool tone of the attitude toward the everything Azerbaijani is clearly felt in superficial articles about prominent statesmen of Azerbaijan. For example, the article about HeydarAliyev in the “Big” consists of only one sentence: “Aliyev Heydar Aliyevich (Ali Rza oglu) (born in 1923), President of Azerbaijan since October 1993.” And no more words about many-sided activity of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people. Certainly, Danilyan’s accomplices passed colossal activity a world known politician and statesman Heydar Aliyev in Politburo and Council of Ministers in the huge Soviet Power over in silence because they could not find an Armenian public figure equal to him. In this respect, it is worth noting that the compilers “forgot” to mention the nationality of the famous commander Hazi Aslanov. One remembers here Pushkin’s “You are a thief, you are a slave, you are Armenian!” Unfortunately, danilyans and their likes managed to build cozy nets in the Russian encyclopedic editions, through which false dashnak sermon is disseminated as a historical fact.
Let us see how industriously in the article “Gusani” the “Big” presents the Armenians as the most ancient and cultural people of the Caucasus: “Medieval Armenian folk singers, narrators and musicians-instrumentalists. They are mentioned in literary monuments since the V century. Approximately since XVII century, they were replaced by ashugs.” It is too funny, if not sad, from the idea that the ashugs are presented to the whole world not as Azerbaijani folk musicians, but as the descendant of the Armenian gusans. It is good that the article “Ashug” does not conceal the fact that “ashik” is a Turkic word meaning literarily “fallen in love…” But pay attention to the text about ashugs: “Folk singer-poet in the Caucasian and neighboring peoples of the USSR and abroad. Along with songs of their own composition, ashugs’ repertoire also includes epic narrations, folk songs.” As we see, the compilers stubbornly avoid the word “Azerbaijanis.” Even the Soviet Encyclopedic Dictionary explains that in the XVII century and later, gusans were called ashugs. A question arises: why the Armenian notion “gusan” is azerbaijanized and transformed into “ashug” by the efforts of the pseudoencyclopedists? The reason is the same, i.e. this is done by the attempts of the pro-Armenian groups spread in all spheres, which continue historical Armenian tradition o misappropriating of foreign culture, music, land, other values and traditions. For instance, the Armenians popularized a splendid Azerbaijani melody “Dalghalanir Gara daniz” (the Black Sea splashes), renaming it into “Kamancha” (by the way, it is also an Azerbaijani word) and ascribed its authorship to Sayat Nove, whose national background is not defined so far. In fact, this song was composed by genius Uzeyr Hajibayov on the words of Ahmad Javad. This was told by Uzayr-bay himself, who expressed generous irony toward the Armenians’ thievish claims. Once, in the company of cultural figures he noted: “Never mind, let the Armenians thieve our melodies, anyway we will have more.” The Armenian performers of a priori were not composers; they managed to play anyhow zurna, gavala, dumbul, but nothing more. So, it is impermissible that ashugs, whose descendants in ancient and medieval centuries were called varsags, dede, ozan, yanshag, “are strengthened” in the Russian encyclopedic editions as descendants of the Armenian gusans. Antiazerbaijani attitude is traced in other encyclopedic editions, too. In this respect, one can mention Small encyclopedia of countries published by “Torsing” publishing house in Moscow. In this edition, the mountainous part of Azerbaijan’s historical region “Nagorno-Karabakh” is included in the section of unrecognized states as a separate Artsakh Republic.
As a person, who participated in the foundation of Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia in the 1960s, I remember how friendly our cooperation with the compilers of Big Soviet Encyclopedia was, how willingly Moscow specialists were coming to Baku for exchanging experience. In those years, Russian and Azerbaijani encyclopedists established really good and fruitful relations.
Today, the situation is quite the opposite because encyclopedic editions have business aims. Private editions do not care who orders the music; they are only interested in getting money. It seems the Armenian customers are very generous. That is why the performers prefer to close their eyes to truth and conceal undisputed historical facts. They certainly know many international encyclopedic editions, which published detailed and authentic enough materials about Azerbaijan. However, the same customer puts other tasks for the mentioned Russian editions: to misinform by falsification the Russian audience of many thousands about everything related to Azerbaijan, our history and culture. And here are some details. There is not any Azerbaijani name in recent editions “100 best performers of the world” and “100 best compositors.” Aram Khachaturyan, who by the way becam e famous by the musical extracts, more exactly “Dance with sabers,” which were written on the basis of the Azerbaijani mugham “Chahargah” and Azerbaijani dancing song “Vaghzali,” is presented as one of 100 best compositors. Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani compositors, who are greater than A. Khachaturyan, such as Uzayr Hajibayov, Gara Garayev, Fikrat Amirov, Firangiz Alizada and others were not included into that edition.
This article mentioned only the smallest part of the deceitful information abundant in such editions. All that makes one sad and the result suggests itself: one thing is to have rich historical, moral, cultural arsenal us we do, the other thing is to be able to voice this entire rich national heritage and make famous in the whole world. We fail with the latter. 16 years of war with guileful and impudent enemy did not teach us information vigilance. May be it is time at last for the diplomatic structures and diasporas react promptly and systematically to the Armenian lie and defamation, clarify and deliver the truth to the large number of foreign readers. Our inactivity facilitates the enemy falsification to start to seem like convincing scientific evidence. That is the trouble!
The Russians about the Armenians
V.L.Velichko “The Caucasus. The Russian affair and inter-tribal issues.”
(Continue. Beginning in previous issues)
…The sight of people, who really suffered from this massacre and found shelter under Russia’s banner, was something painful. The peculiarity of the tragedy is that to a larger extent the Armenian rich, clergy and other politicians put to death and abuse part of their people… (p. 101)
I will write in short about the transformation of Armenian church schools under the jurisdiction of our Ministry of people enlightenment. The latter revealed that contrary to a visual and expressed everywhere the aspiration of the Armenian masses to learn state language, the Armenian parochial schools not only inhibited that natural way of civic development, but also kindled the most brutal and zealous schism. Let alone stupid textbooks talking about notorious Great Armenia and world mission of the Armenians to civilize all their neighbors; these schools also distributed the maps of Great Armenia almost till Voronej with the capital in Tiflis… and many emblems serving the same adventure, which was at first supported by Great Britain, and now it is one of the beloved brainchild of germanism. I use the word germanism and not Germany because the German subjects of Russia are supporters and protectors of the Armenian tricks. (pp. 107-108)
…The dream of creating autonomous “stardom,” and by the way within the Russian boundaries, is not extinguished, but more kindled. There was no space in Turkey – so it is artificially created in Transcaucasia. Tens of thousands of Turkish emigrants (Armenians – ed.) invade our territory, and our troops hesitate to shoot these “peaceful” gangs because the Armenians put forward women and children. There are no Turkish “atrocities” at all, and the Turkish government does not accept the fugitive back…
The ordinary Armenians of Transcaucasia, who became relatively mild living tens of years in Russia, consider the arrival of their Turkish congeners a great calamity.
People need land – and everything in the Caucasus and the Russian capitals available for Armenian influence intends this land for the Armenians and opposes the Russian colonization…
In our language to oppose means to object. In the Caucasus, this word has a terrible, savage meaning, making one’s hair stand on end. After several years of thinking over this issue and collecting facts from original sources, I came to conclusion so to say with all forces of my soul that the Armenian intrigue, aimed at settling Turkish Armenians in their lands, was exactly the beginning of passion, insanity and destruction…
The dwellers of destroyed village in Tartar of Yelizavetpol province know what the Armenian “oppose” means. This horrible epic will be told in detail below… The account of on of the survived settlers made on the listeners such impression that all horrors of the Turkish carnage faints in comparison with cold-blooded and satanic brutality of “peaceful” and “cultural” Armenians in forcing the Russian out of the territory conquered by Russian blood. (pp. 112-113)
(to be continued)
Historical dates of Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict
(Continuation. Beginning in previous issues.)
Year 1993
September 21-28 – Negotiations in the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group OSCE in Paris.
October 14 – Adoption of the UNSC resolution 874, calling sides to “refrain from any inimical acts, interference or incursion, which may lead to excrescence of conflict and undermine peace and safety in the region”.
October 18-21 – Negotiations in the framework of Minsk Group.
October 23 – Assault of Goradiz by Armenian military forces, supported by tanks. Occupation of this transport junction resulted in Zangelan and part of unoccupied territories of Jabrayil and Gubadly regions being cut from the rest of Azerbaijan Republic.
October – Occupation of Minjivan Railway station by Armenian military forces.
October 28 – November 1 – Occupation of Zangelan region of Azerbaijan which is beyond the bounds of Nagorno-Karabakh, by Armenian military forces, resulting 34 924 Azerbaijanis being banished from their places of inhabitancy.
11 ноября – Adoption of theUNSC resolution 884, calling to “Immediate armistice and one-side withdrawal of occupant forces from the territory of Zangelan region, Goradiz city, and other newly occupied regions of Azerbaijan Republic”
November 20 – Bombardment of Russian intermediary mission by Armenian military forces. Statement by A.Kozirev on the occasion.
December 10 – Offensive of Armenian military forces in the line of Beylagan.
1994
January – March – Series of negotiations on armistice agreement by mediation of Russia and OSCE.
March 3 – Breakdown of agreement and renewal of offensive by Armenian military forces.
March 31 – April 3 – Visit to Yerevan, Baku, and Nagorno-Karabakh by the peacemaking group of CIS’ inter-Parliamentary Assembly headed by Chairman of Kyrgyzstan Supreme Council assisted by the president of RF.
April 9-10 – Large-scale offensive in the line of Tartar during 33 days started by the commandment of Armenian military forces.
May 4-5 – Meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian parliamentarians with participation of representatives of both sides of Nagorno-Karabakh in Bishkek. Adoption of “Bishkek Protocol”.
May 9 – Signature of agreement between Ministers of Defense of Azerbaijan, Armenia and representatives of Armenian separatist regime in NK on general cease-fire.
May 12 – Cease-fire regime within the territory of conflict. Cessation on the front line.
May 19 – Adoption of agreement on consolidation of the cease-fire regime by the permanent committee of OSCE.
June 27 – Signature of agreement on cease-fire regime liability confirmation by both sides. Joint statement by the chairman of the Russian intermediary group, and the chairman of the Minsk Conference, supporting this agreement.
(to be continued)
Bloody Chronicle
Crimes of Armenian band formations against Azerbaijanis.
(Continue. Beginning in previous issues.)
June 11, 1992. Azerbaijan. Narishtar village of Agderin region and villages of Agdam region were bombarded by Armenian band formations. There were victims among peaceful inhabitants.
June 11-12, 1992. Azerbaijan. Sadarak settlement of Nakhichivan AR, settlements of Gazakh, Tovuz, Kelbajar, Fizuli, and Jebrayil regions were bombarded by Armenian band formations. There were many victims among peaceful inhabitants.
June 25. 1992 . Nakhichivan Autonomous Republic. Azerbaijan. Ordubad – the ancient city of Azerbaijan was bombarded by Armenian band formation from the territory of Armenia.
Obsession
June 29, 1992. Jebrayil. Azerbaijan. As a result of bombardment of the city, peaceful citizens Gizbast Akhmedova and Magomed Aliyev were killed in their own houses. Besides their houses, several privat and public buildings were destroyed.
July 31, 1992. Jebrayil. Azerbaijan. Mother of two children, Azemfira Mekhtiyeva lost her eye and hand during the usual bombardment. There were substantial destructions in the city.
August, 1992. Jebrayil. Azerbaijan. City citizen Dr. Kamil Mammadov was seriously injured in his garden during the bombardment. He lost his leg.
30 августа 1992 года. Джебраил. Азербайджан. As a result of bombardment of the city, peaceful citizens Samaya Kerimova and Tofig Suleymanov were killed in their own houses. There were substantial destructions in the city.
September 24, 1992. Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan. Azerbaijan. Settlements of Nakhchivan were bombarded by Armenian band formations. There were victims among peaceful inhabitants.
December 1992. Azerbaijan. 8 villages were occupied by Armenian band formations using hard artillery “GRAD” system. According to several Arabic sources Syrian mercenary were participating in terrorist operations in Nagorno-Karabakh along with Armenian soldiers. Shakhab Al-Gasim, who was fighting in the ranks of Armenian army in 1992, published his book of outlines in 1996 in Damask. In particular he wrights: “I had many friends among soldiers in Nagorno-Karabakh. One of them is Genri Ayvazovich Arustaman. He attracted my attention since he was one of the members of liberation movement in Damask. His name was added to the honorable list of ASALA”.
(to be continued)
Armenia: Secrets of a “Christian” Terrorist State
Samuel A. Weems
The Armenian Great Deception Series – Volume 1
(Continuation. Beginning in previous issues)
In daytime, the Turkish Armenians posed as the friends of the Ottoman neighbors, but at night, they committed destructive terrorist acts behind the Ottomans’ back. These terrorist attacks against the Turks weakened the Turkish army, which showed its strength during the battles with the Russians. As result, the Ottoman had to deport all Armenians living over the front zones. Because the Turks could not determine which of the Armenian were terrorists, and which were not. The nation defending itself did not have other measures to take against persons demonstrated themselves as enemies and betrayers after living together for a millennium.
When Japan attacked the United States on 7 December 1941, the American Japanese, living in the western coast, were deported by the US government to the camps of temporary residence inland. This can be an example of the abovementioned fact. By a Special Decree no. 9006 signed on 19 February 1942, Franklin Roosevelt ordered to deport the American Japanese from a military zone. This decree enabled the authorized persons on the western coast, where Japan’s attack was expected, to resettle, if necessary by force, the American Japanese to distant deportation camps inland. This measure also prevented possible espionage on collecting necessary information and passing it to the enemy. Of course, the American Japanese did not create their army behind the American front line; neither did they attempt to join the attacking Japanese forces. And all measures taken by the US government were aimed at preventing the presumed case.
What the Ottomans did in 1915 was exactly the same measure. However, in spite of it, in such situation the Armenians engaged in terrorism behind the Ottoman front line. Joining the attacking enemy forces of Russia and France, they attempted to conduct an ethnic cleansing of muslims, especially the Turks, in the territories of the Ottoman Empire, which they considered theirs.
It is sad, but after that, the Armenians started to deceit all Christians in America and the whole world. By sending their hired agents to the whole christian world, the Armenian leaders began to disseminate false allegation that hundreds of thousands of Armenian christians fell victims of a genocide committed by savage Turkish muslims.
The truth is that American eyewitnesses recorded the number of the Armenians deported from front line territories. Present day Armenian falsifiers increased the number of several hundreds of massacred Armenians to 1,5 million. The Armenians observed well the whole world’s attitude toward what the fascists have done to the Jews during World War II. And 53 years later, the Armenians started cry out all over the world that in 1915 supposedly the Turks committed atrocious “genocide.” Modern Turkey was not declared a republic up until 1923, i.e. 8 years after the expulsion of the Armenians by the Ottomans because of terrorist actions and treachery of the former.
Had the Ottomans not allied with Germany during World War II, the formation, now called Armenian state, would have remained in history only as a usual spot and disappeared. During that Big war, the United States did not even declare war on the Ottoman Empire. Due to some unclear reason the Armenians support America’s position now, too and consider that it is the obligation of the USA and other allied states to take muslim territories and give it to them. The issue is not finished here; the Armenians demonstrate such confidence that supposedly the Allies are committed to defend them by their troops and money and assist them in taking muslim lands from sea to sea. In case of a successful war, it is less or not certain at all that the Armenians will get any profit from it.
(to be continued)
Armenian trace
Bloody January events
1-10 January 1919
Armenian band formations at the head of notorious thug Andranik destroyed the settlements in Zangazur district of Azerbaijan: Kushchilu, Ajilu, Arkazi, Aksarlu, Shaharjiy, Achaguz and Okhchu.
Many other settlements of the district were under siege. According to eyewitnesses, women suicided so as not to be taken by the Armenians.
7 January 1920
Another atrocity of the Armenians: all 12 families of Donuklu village were taken by the Armenians to the neighboring village Zeytun, where they were brutally murdered. There were women, old people and children among the victims. Men able to carry weapon were in the front at that time.
9 January 1991
Salatin Asgarova, the correspondent of “Azerbaijani youth” newspaper, was killed by the Armenian terrorists in expressway Lachin-Shusha near Galadarasi village. Three military men of the Soviet Army accompanying her were killed as well. The murderers were arrested by the authorities later and sentenced to death; however, due to a number of circumstances they were released and handed over to the Armenian authorities. At the moment when it was announced on TV, S.Asgarova’s father died because of heart attack.
January 1919
It was reported that well armed Armenian military formations and regular troops were attacking the settlements of Goycha and Novobayazet districts populated mainly by the Azerbaijanis. As result of this barbarian action, tens of muslim settlements were burnt, their population was killed or became refugees. The leaders of “Ararat republic” were aimed at creating “ethnically clean zones” to north of the Goycha lake.
19 January 1920
Large forces of Armenia started the offence in the direction of the administrative centre of Karabakh gubernia – Shusha city. According to information from the region, they annihilated all muslim settlements on their way. However, Azerbaijan Armed Forces deployed there managed to stop the enemy and throw him back.
19 January 1990
At night from 19 to 20 January, Armenian armed groups occupied Karki village of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. This village situated far from Nagorno-Karabakh is under the occupation of neighboring Armenia so far. At the same night, the Armenians also attacked Sadarak village. Other villages of Nakhchivan bordering Armenia were also bombarded. All these actions were accompanied by victims among civilian population.
25 January 1988
Another “ethnic cleansing” of the Azerbaijanis started in the territory of present Armenia. This time, it occurred with the connivance of the leaders of “developed socialism.” For the short period of time, more than 200 thousand people with broken fates, who lost their houses, jobs, angry with the Soviet power, migrated to Azerbaijan, becoming unwillingly one of the main factors, which facilitated the following events.
National Heroes of Azerbaijan
“We may die, but Motherland must live!”As a pupil of secondary school №46 of Nasimi district of Baku Shikar dreamt to be an officer. But, then he could not even think that several years later Motherland would need him as an officer. Yes, then young Shikar dreamt of service in quite different conditions…Having graduated from Baku High Joint Military School of Commanders with honors, Shikar Shikarov was seconded to service in one of the military district of the Far East. After successful graduation of Moscow Military College named after Frunze in 1989, he started his as the chief of staff in Kiyev Military district regiment. And he served honourably…A frosty evening of 1990. For several days Makhluga khanim, Shikar’s wife, and his son have noticed how gloomy the father was, but they hesitated to ask why. On the other hand, there was no need to ask; it was clear without explanation…- O Makhluga, would you share my sorrow… Word of honor, I cannot stand it any longer. We are here, but our Azerbaijan dies from the hands of the satan and betrayer – Armenians. I received a letter from my mother, who calls me – her son officer – to help the Motherland. We may die, but the Motherland must live! – Shikar said with grief. It turned out that his wife was worried, too…
Shikar’s family was in Baku already by the end of the year. The young officer began to work as the chief Operational Department of the Republican Staff of Civil Defence. In September 1991, he was invited to the Parliament of the Republic to participate in the development of the draft law “On the Armed Forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan.” Sh. Shikarov was one of the founders of the national Ministry of Defence. Later, he worked as the Deputy Chief of General Staff in the Ministry and often visited the units because he preferred practical activity. But all that was not to his liking. He was striving to work in the outskirts of the Republic, where the situation became worse and worse because of the Armenians’ separatist actions. At last, he achieved what he was striving for. Sh.Shikarov was seconded on his own will to Goranboy to clean the former Shaumyankand from Armenian armed groups.
Here Shikarov worked without respite. He spent days in hot spots, and nights over the maps preparing the plans of new operation. The operation on cleaning the territories of Goranboy and Aghdara regions from the Armenian aggressors was one of these operations written with gold letters in the history of Azerbaijan national troops. On 13 June 1992, Shikar made a phone call home to Baku. It turned out to be his last conversation with the family… Right after the conversation, Sh.Shikarov left for Tartar. Here, he commanded an artillery battle from the trench of place called “Torpagtapa.” During the battle, two enemy rounds exploded near Shikar. In consequence, the brave officer got a vital wound. That was the last day in the life of 38-year-old Sh.Shikarov. On 15 June, the brave son of the Azerbaijani people was “accommodated” for ever in the Shahidlar Khiyabani (Cemetry of martyrs) – the honorable burial place of courageous sons and daughters of the Motherland like him.
Shikar’s dream to die for the freedom and happiness of the Motherland came true…
By the decree of the President of Azerbaijan Republic Shikar Shukur oglu Shikarov was posthumously declared National Hero of Azerbaijan.
Gadir NASIROV
Voice of Karabakh
Gorbachev’s bloody strike on Baku
(Extract from the book by Ch.A. Sultanov “The Last strike of Empire”
About the author: Sultanov Chapay Ali oghlu – vice-president of International Oil Eastern Academy, doctor of geologic-mineralogical sciences, professor, Azerbaijan’s State award winner, author of more than 150 scientific articles and 16 books, honoured worker of physical training and sport of Azerbaijan, honoured trainer of Azerbaijan. He was elected several times a member of different FIDE commissions.
…From the testimony of Dmitriy Yazov to the Prosecutor Office of Azerbaijan:
“…On 19 January 1990, I was invited to president Gorbachev. The Minister of Internal Affairs Bakatin was also invited there. There were also the chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR N.Rizhkov and the chairman of the Supreme Council A.Lukyanov in Gorbachev’s room. Gorbachev said that a different situation had emerged in Baku and that Bakatin and I had to go there and restore order. On the same day, at 17.00 p.m. local time we arrived in Baku. Here, in the office of the commander of the western direction general N.Popov, we met with the USSR president representatives Y.Primakov and O.Shenin, first secretary of Azerbaijan CP CC A.Vazirov, discussed the situation and made a decision to declare emergency situation. At night from 19 to 20 January, the regular troops of the Soviet Army entered Baku…”
Later, one of the butchers of the Azerbaijani people Minister of Defence of the USSR DmitriyYazov recalled: “Gorbachev is a feeble person. He controlled the Army, KGB (State Security Committee – ed.), MIA (Ministry of Internal Affairs – ed.). So what? Nagorno-Karabakh could have been prevented, couldn’t it? But they did not make it. He declared emergency situation in Baku. He called me, Kryuchkov and Pugo. We flew. But the written order does not exist so far. I say: ‘Give me a written order.’ ‘LEAVE THIS PIECE OF PAPER, LATER’…”
The paper connected with the fate of thousands of people, murdered and wounded, he calls “a piece of paper”!
Yazov’s testimony is already a reason for a court trial: it turns out that the Soviet Army occupied a peaceful city by killing and wounding hundreds of civilians WITHOUT AN APPROPRIATELY CONFIRMED WRITTEN ORDER OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE COUNTRY, WHO WAS GORBACHEV!..
…In accordance with Gorbachev’s order, at night from 19 to 20 January 1990, the Soviet Army invaded Baku bringing death and destruction on its way.
A.Karaulov writes: “Military invasion to Baku was prepared by the mInistry of Defence, MIA and KGB of the USSR. The operation’s secret name was ‘Srike’. The key role belonged to a special forces group ‘Alpha’ and a diversionary group ‘A’ of the USSR KGB.”…
The Politicians finished their dirty business – and the Soviet Army goes forward, which covers the last pages of its history within the USSR with its actions in Baku, with indelible disgrace.
“…- Report, Yuri Alekseyevich (Y.A.Naumov, the commander of 76 regiment of Pskov airborne division, colonel – author), what is the matter? – I said.
• Allow me to reproduce, general.
• Well, reproduce!..
• The Minister of Defence stretched his feast to my nose and said: ‘Try, you buster, not to take!.. Tell it to Lebed!’
• Is that all?
• Yes!..
• To take what?
• Baku. There is nothing else to take here.
The task – to take a 2-million city – nice and simple (?! – author). 30 km till Baku…
Onward! – I ordered.
… The Ryazan regiment followed by Kostroma one moved to Baku.
…A brought-up airborne ‘chauvinism’ is performed (‘there are no unaccomplishable tasks,’ ‘no one beside us’). Aggressiveness and hatred is kindled… (!? – author)
… By five o’clock in the morning, the regiments took insignificant for them regions. In the east, from the direction of ‘Nasosniy’ airfield the Pskov air-borne division entered the city. Moreover, a pile of gunmen, which were staffed in a hurry by conscript ‘partisans’ (i.e. Armenians – ed.) from Rostov district, Krasnodar and Stavropol regions.”
This is how general Lebed, who later was proud of that, describes his ‘heroism’ and that of the airborne division commanded by him, which invaded Baku at the night from 19 to 20 1990.
If we change the Russian names into German ones and transfer these events to 22 June 1941, when the fascist generals encouraged their soldiers before the attack against the USSR, it will difficult to detect the difference between Lebed’s encouragement and that of the fascists generals, except that the fascist generals were more restrained, than Lebed was…
Recollections about bloody January
There are a lot of them – unforgettable for centuries recollections about “Black January.” And each of them is worse, than another. And each of them is a history of tragedy that was committed against innocent people, who wanted to get their lawful right – sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Here we will mention only two of them.
“In the evening on 19 January 1990, nothing presaged a tragedy,” writer Elchin Hasanov recalls. According to him, the life in the city took its normal course, the shops, cafes and restaurants were open. Agitation could be observed in Baku by people walking in the streets with the flags of Azerbaijan. “Then, I was living near the metro station ‘XI Red Army’ (the one that committed vandalism exactly from here?! – ed.), later renamed into ‘20 January.’ After dinner, I went to bed. The sounds of shooting woke me up. It was about 01.00 a.m. Everyone has already woken up at home. I approached the balcony, but my parents cried out so that I stayed away from the balcony less a bullet hits me. From the window of the house, I saw the night sky of the city illuminated by the fire of weapons… This shooting lasted for a long time. But it was not the last one on that day. There was unthinkable noise: bullets were whistling, tanks and BTRs were rumbling,” E.Hasanov remembers.
As he says, already at 07.00 a.m. on January 20, tanks, BMPs and BTRs were driving in the streets of Baku. “A tanker showed up from the hatch of one of the tanks. He was saying with a loud speaker: A curfew is declared in Baku. It is absolutely prohibited to go out from 22.00 to 07.00.!” – E.Hasanov says. But the most terrible things were happening at that tim in the streets. “When I went outside, I saw a crowd of people, familiar ones. They told me that the corpse had been transported to the morgue on four trucks last night. Pools of blood were all over, a smashed automobile ‘VAZ 2106’ that was driven over by a tank was nearby. Someone in the crowd tried to persuade everyone to disperse. But mainly there were calls not to permit the troops enter Baku. At that time, a tank drove in front of the crowd. A tanker with a machine gun showed up from its hatch. He opened fire against people. One of the bullets passed few centimeters by me. The people were running away in panic.” According to his words, another unforgettable moment was how the Russian troops behaved in Baku on the day following the bloody events.
“The city was mourning. Black mourning flags were hung on cars, stakes, and balconies of the houses. But the Russian soldiers were tearing them down. I saw myself how a VAZ 2107 driver was forced at assault rifle point to take a black flag down from his car,” E.HAsanov shares his memory. He says that on 19-20 January 30-35-years-old enlisted soldiers were participating in punitive actions in Baku. They were distinguished by long hairs, beard and “animal shining in the eyes.” But few days later, they were replaced by young soldiers of conscription age…
“Russian occupation troops drowned our people in blood and established their rules…,” Hasanov says.
Human rights defender Arzu Abdullayeva remembers the January events as follows: “I think that it was an organized provocation. KGB of the USSR was its author. This agency always fought against informal elite. At that time, the People’s Front was elite in Azerbaijan,” Abdullayeva expresses her hypothesis. She thinks that the bloodshed could have been prevented.
“Of course, the forces were not equal. Those, who wanted bloodshed, prevailed over the adversaries of such terrible outcome. Moreover, there were many ‘influencing agents’ – people, who unconsciously were realizing others’ will. They received at first site haphazard information, which in fact ‘was poured’ to them intentionally…
On the following day (20 january – ed.), an accident that I will remember for ever happened to me. The soldiers “targeted” a 16-year-old boy. That took place near the post office no. 73 in Nariman ave. The boy lived in Sovetskiy str. Being in a stress, he could not clearly explain the soldiers what he was doing there. I defended the boy. There were two soldiers. One of them was probably enlisted, aged 29-30. He had long hairs and beard. The second soldiers seemed to be a Ukrainian. He called me ‘divchina’ (informal term for a girl). I asked the soldiers: ‘Guys, what is the matter with you? Who cheated you so? We are citizens of the USSR just as you are. Will you shoot at us?’ But the long-haired soldier was still targeting us. And only after his partner’s persuasion, he went away. I owe that soldier my life,” Abdullayeva shares her recollections with us.
After the events of 19-20 January, Abdullayeva participated in the independent group for investigating this black date in the history of Azerbaijan. The results of the investigation were shocking. “It turned out that many soldiers who participated in the events of 19-20 January did not even know where they were deploying. They were transported either in closed cars, or in helicopters. Since many of them were ‘the Afghanis,’ they decided that they were redeployed in Afghanistan.
Later, when the truth was revealed, many of the military men were bewildered. There were even cases when soldiers went mad having known whom they were shooting against. Besides that, the investigation revealed that the leadership of the Baku hospitals was warned about the possible development of events in Baku. More than 200 officers of the USSR KGB were staying in hotels on those days. At the same, the Azerbaijani officers of Azerbaijan’s KGB were disarmed. All that proves the argument that the bloody scenario of the events of 19-20 January was planned beforehand,” summarizes Abdullayeva.
With certain abridgement from Echo newspaper.
Lesson of patriotism, love and truthfulness
A row of grave in the Martyrs Avenue – one of the holiest places for all Azerbaijanis – starts with their grave. “Their” – because two persons are buried here – HE and SHE.
Ilham, born in 1962 in Aghdam region, worked as a turner in the Baku shipyard named after D.Buniyatzada. Fariza, born in 1970 in Saral village of the Spitak region of Armenia, she was a student in the last year of the Baku Medical School №1. These two creations of the Lord, came to life far away from each other, met each other here in Baku, and joined their fates into one. On 30 June 1989, Ilham and Fariza got married. And a happy family life, predetermined by the Lord to be short, started… 6 months elapsed, the memory of the marriage feasting was still fresh, but suddenly…
Ilham as many his compatriots went outside on that day in order to be with everyone, in order to join his voice to the voices of hundred thousands people fighting for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity of native Azerbaijan. At that night, there were many people at the XI Red Army square. Rumors were spread in the crowd that troops had entered the capital. But none of them made even a step back. The people were not doing something wrong; all they did was a peaceful demand of their right. And who could expect that a Soviet soldier, an offspring of the very XI Red Army, around the monument of which the people had gathered, can shoot at civilians?
Nevertheless, it happened. At about 00.30 a.m, the invading troops opened fire against the crowd without warning…
Wounded Ilham was brought to the Republican hospital, where in the candle light and burnt papers (at that night, the electricity was turned off in the city – ed.) he underwent a surgery, after which he lived for 30 more minutes. “Do not tell anything to my mother,” were his last words…
Fariza was waiting for him, she could not calm down, as if she was feeling the coming tragedy. An hour, two, three hours passed… She was worrying all night long, was going up and down the room, was going out to the yard and coming back home. So she met the morning having stayed up. And in the morning…
O Lord, how shocked she was having known about the death of her beloved Ilham! “No, no, I will not make it without him!” “For what should I live without him?” “I must go to him!” – Fariza was repeating. She heard that he would be buried together with other martyrs on January 22. And she decided to “catch up with” Ilham…
Having hided herself from the relative, she poured oil on herself, but at the last moment they took matches from her… A day later, early in the morning, Fariza came up to the bed of little Ajdar, a nephew of Ilham, adjusted the blanket on him, stayed for a while and looked at the kid’s smiling face. What was she thinking about at that moment? About her tragic fate? About a tragic death of her most beloved person? May be about her baby, she was carrying under her heart?…
With tears on her eyes, she calmly went to another room. Put wedding pictures on the table, looked at them for a long time crying bitterly… Then she took a glass with some liquid and drank it…
After Fariza’s death, her relatives found a piece of paper with the following words: “I cannot live without him. You…” and nothing else…
She achieved her wish. She remained truthful to him, to her pure love… She went to her beloved one together with her baby in the womb…
Ilham and Fariza gave the humanity a lesson of patriotism, love and truthfulness. In this first grave in the Martyrs Avenue, lies the top of love of two young persons…
G.Zeynaloghlu,
Voice of Karabakh
“Black January – the day of national pride and unity”
A round table under this topic was held in International Press Centre by the Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan with the participation of NGO representatives, political scientists and prominent political and public figures on the eve of the 15th anniversary of the perfidious invasion of the Soviet troops to Baku and committing bloody atrocity over the civilian population of the capital.
The Association representative professor Rustam Mammadov gave an opening speech and stressed that by retaliating Gorbachev’s treachery the Azerbaijani people gave the first lesson of democracy and struggle for independence to not only the post-Soviet society, but also the whole world.
The chairman of Free Speech Foundation, a poet Musa Yagub called the action of the Soviet leadership encroachment on the freedom of the people aimed at breaking the people’s will. “The Soviet empire had shot our word before it shot us, attempted to make television, newspapers and radio keep silent so that no one could hear our voice. But it could not do that…,” the poet said. He pointed out that we should not mourn the victims of 20 January; it is time to celebrate this day as the day of national pride, bravery, firmness and unity of the people, which stood in defence of its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of its country.
Touching the facts of murder of civilians by the Soviet Army, a political scientist Rovshan Novruzoghlu expressed his resentment that the investigation of the 20 January events was suspended. Moreover, he informed that one of two volumes of the case, each consisting of 400 pages, was lost. The political scientist also mentioned our unsatisfactory propaganda; while the Armenians have published 480 000 books about Nagorno-Karabakh with 3 million issues for the last 50 years. Armenia’s ambassador to Washington Kirkoryan published the book “Nagorno-Karabakh – part of Armenia” in 8 languages with 110 thousand issues. Talking about the bloody result of the Soviet troops’ invasion to Baku, R.Novruzoghlu brought a shocking fact: at that night, 11 women in Nasimi district and 13 – in Yasamal district of the capital died in childbed because of the stress. 75% of newborn infants at that night were born with abnormalities.
Professors Chingiz Ismayilov, Kamil Salimov, political scientist Zardusht Alizada, the chairman of the youth Organization for the Liberation of Karabakh Taleh Aliyev and others shared their thoughts about the events of 20 January.
The key point in all speeches was the idea that the events of 20 January 1990 together with their bloody result are a glorious page in the history of Azerbaijani people.
Ismayil MASTALIYEV
PA specialist
Armenia is recognized as an aggressor
More than 15 years elapsed since the beginning of the occupation of the territory of Azerbaijan by the Armenian armed forces. More than 17 thousand sq km of Azerbaijani territory is still under the aggressor’s occupation.
At last, only after that long period, Armenia was recognized as a country-aggressor by the influential international organization – the Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe.
As it is known, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict was put on the agenda of the Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The report of David Atkinson, PACE rapporteur on Nagorno-Karabakh, was listened and discussed. As a result of voting on the draft resolution of PACE, the document was adopted by a majority vote, 123 affirmative votes and only 7 deputies were against. It is notably that notwithstanding the support of Atkinson himself, the Armenian amendment alleging that there are “supporters of independence” and not separatists acting in Nagorno-Karabakh, was not adopted. It is significant to indicate as a positive fact that Atkinson’s report, resolutions and recommendations of the PACE recognize and reflect all of the 4 UN Security Council Resolutions.
At the same time, under the pressure of the Armenians and pro-Armenian deputies the Armenian amendment, under which the official Baku has to begin negotiations concerning the future status of this region with the Armenian community of Nagorno-Karabakh without any preconditions, was adopted. In fact, the paradoxical situation is created: on the one hand, the Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe recognizes that Armenia has occupied the territory of Azerbaijan, and therefore Armenia is the reason of all events related to the conflict, and on the other hand, PACE forces Azerbaijan to hold negotiations with the community of Nagorno-Karabakh.
We would like to accentuate three essentially important paragraphs of Atkinson’s report, adopted by PACE.
It is indicated in the first paragraph that “the significant part of the territory of Azerbaijan is still under the occupation of Armenian armed forces, and separatists so far control the region of Nagorno-Karabakh.”
It is said in the second paragraph that the military actions have resulted in “large-scale” ethnic cleansings and establishment of the “mono-ethnic territory.”
“The Assembly thinks that the occupation of foreign territory by a member state constitutes a grave violation of that state’s obligations as a member of the Council of Europe,” the document states. It is also mentioned that if the problem settlement cannot be achieved through the OSCE Minsk Group, “the parties should use international court of the UN.”
The third paragraph of the resolution says that the Assembly calls the parties to return to the UN Security Council Resolutions and implement them especially concerning “the withdrawal of the armed forces from the occupied territories.”
“Having occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and seven adjacent to it regions as result of military aggression, Armenia has been holding under control 20% of the neighboring state’s territory, and for 15 years has been continuing the policy aimed against the Azerbaijani state and people in contravention to all international law norms. As result of this aggression by Armenia, in consequence of which about 1 million Azerbaijanis became refugees and IDPs, Azerbaijan was caused damage exceeding 60 billion USD,” the document points out.
As result of the military aggression, 20 thousand Azerbaijanis died, 100 thousand were wounded, 50 thousand got different forms of injury, 4 853 people are missing, 439 out of them died or killed in captivity, 783 people are still in captivity. As result of the Armenian occupation, 900 settlements of Azerbaijan were partially or completely destroyed, 7 thousand industrial and agricultural facilities, 700 educational and 665 health institutions, 22 museums, 4 picture galleries, 44 temples, 9 mosques, about 100 thousand museum values, cultural and architectural monuments were destroyed and captured. As result of Armenia’s military aggression, 17 thousand hectares of futile land of Azerbaijan were contaminated, subject to erosion, mined, put to unusable condition. Approximately 1000 km of auto roads, 160 bridges, 23 thousand km water pipes, 15 thousand km power lines are destroyed,” the resolution stresses.
So, Armenia is recognized as an aggressor. The justice, at last, has triumphed, although late and only partially.
Gadir Nasirov,
“Voice of Karabakh”
Bloody Price for Independence
15 years ago, at the night from 19 to 20 January 1990, the leadership of the former USSR in the person of the first and the last president of this country Mikhail Gorbachev entered troops to Baku without Azerbaijan’s consent, in contravention to all international laws, human rights conventions and even the provisions of the Constitution of the Soviet Union itself.
The key role in the operation belonged to “Alpha” group and diversionary group “A” of the State Security Committee (KGB) of the USSR. These groups included the contingents of the Soviet Army units, internal troops and special forces. The city was invaded by Pskov and Kostroma regiments, Pskov airborne division, moreover, a lot of gunmen, the units of which were staffed in hurry by conscript partisans (most probably the Armenians from Stavropol, Krasnodar and so on – G.N.).
And a real murder of the people was launched, which was confirmed by the facts of assassination of people of both gender, different age and every nationality. Intentional brutality and vandalism are confirmed also by such facts as shooting the ambulance and city transport vehicles.
Why and for what purposes was such impudent atrocity committed toward innocent Azerbaijani people, which at that time were still the Soviet people?
There are several reasons for that, but we will bring only few of them. On of the main reasons was the national liberation movement that started in Azerbaijan earlier than in other Soviet republics, putting a serious threat to the Soviet system. In spite of the fact that the Constitution of the USSR stipulated the right of each Soviet republic to secede from the Union, this provision was of formal nature and any attempt of the secession of any republic from the Soviet Union was considered by the latter’s leadership as a strong strike on not only the Union, but also the whole socialist system. The Soviet leadership did not want to lose any of the Soviet republics, especially the country rich with natural resources such as Azerbaijan, which could be the beginning of the collapse of the big power, although the collapse of the USSR was already present. Another important reason is directly connected with the Armenians. It is known that since 1988 (since then it was clear; but the Armenians carried out their spy activity constantly), the Armenians started their notorious movement for the unification of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, as result of which they pulled all Azerbaijanis out from their houses in Armenia and later from Nagorno-Karabakh autonomous region. Knowing that it contradicted both the Soviet and international laws, they embarked on a prepared beforehand extremist plan: they kindled killings of the people of the Armenian nationality first in Sumgayit, and later in Baku, thus created the visibility of the Armenians being tortured by the Azerbaijanis. This is what the Gorbachev leadership of the USSR needed to break the will of the people striving for freedom and to prevent the collapse of the Union.
May be, there was another reason, which we do not touch for the purpose of not stirring up animosity between the peoples of different religious affiliation, or any other arguments. But the fact is that a grave violation of human rights has been committed, impudent crime of the state against its own people.
Now let us talk about the consequences of the illegal actions of the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs and KGB of the USSR, carrying out inhuman instructions of Gorbachev, in Baku and other regions of Azerbaijan.
Before emergency situation was declared (it was declared at 07.00 a.m. on 20 January, and the massacre started at about midnight from 19 to 20 January – G.N.), 82 persons were killed and 20 deadly wounded by the soldiers. By the way, for the purpose of depriving of the opportunity to inform the population about the invasion of troops and emergency situation, and creating information blockade the soldiers exploded the power unit of the television centre on January 19, at about 19.00 p.m. On the following days, 21 persons were killed in Baku, and 8 persons were killed in Neftchala and Lankaran cities, where emergency situation was not declared. In total, as result of the illegal invasion of troops, 131 persons were killed, 42 out of them were the participants of a picket. 9 persons were killed while trying to help the wounded, 6 persons – in vehicles while transporting the wounded to hospitals, 17 killed persons going for their personal business did know about emergency situation and were killed as result of shooting automobiles and city transport. As result of shooting the buildings in the city by the soldiers, 7 citizens were killed in their houses. 19 persons were killed while they went outside to find out what was going on, the circumstance of the murder of 5 persons are not established, 9 persons were smashed by tanks and BTRs.
While examining 82 dead bodies with gunshot injuries it was revealed that in 44 cases the shooting was from behind. Out of the murdered: 124 men, 7 women, 7 minors, 78 workers, 24 employees, 12 students, 2 students of professional-technical school, 4 pupils, 3 pensioners… There were 117 Azerbaijanis, 6 Russians, 3 Jews, 6 Tatars and Lazgis among the victims. 7 persons were assassinated while on duty: out of them 5 employees of the internal affairs bodies and 2 employees of ambulance.
The murder of the people continued after January 20, too. By February 9, the number of the massacred reached 170, more than 700 persons were wounded, tens of people were missing. 176 persons including 21 women became invalids.
About 200 houses and apartments, 88 private cars were destroyed and damaged by the troops, 5 apartments and the property were burnt because of incendiary bullets.
The material damage caused to the country as result of the illegal invasion of troops to the Republic counted billions of dollars.
Yes, and this is only the part of that appalling crime of the Soviet leadership against peaceful Azerbaijani people. Freedom and independence of this country cost this high bloody price. However, this people never forget the good made to them, and the bad. And those guilty of the January tragedy will get their due punishment sooner or later. That is for sure!
Gadir Nasirov,
“Voice of Karabakh”