21 years occupation of Shusha and Lachin
21 years ago, in May 1992, Armenian armed gangs occupied two strategically important Azerbaijani regions – Shusha and Lachin districts with strange and rich nature.
Shusha is located at the height of 1,368 m above sea level, in contrast to the Lachin, located approximately at the same height, was part of the Soviet period in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAR).
Shusha – the ancient settlement of Azerbaijan where together with the modern constructions there was a set of historical and architectural monuments, the objects having invaluable historical value, being more than two decades under monitoring of Armenian barbarians (this softest expression for the called beings), it is possible to tell, it is absolutely changed. According to the purposeful plan of a manual of Armenia on Shusha’s armenization, here barbarous, neglecting all relevant international documents, the historical heritage connected to Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis is destroyed, and everything is remade on the Armenian manner.
From primordially Azerbaijani Shusha being one of the most ancient centers of culture and art in the east, to our great regret, now remained anything. I will remind that the city of Shusha was founded in 1751 by Panah-Ali-Khan as fortress for protection of the Karabakh khanate. At first the city was called as Panakhabad in honor of the founder, and further it was renamed into Shusha, by name the neighboring settlement Shushikend.
It is necessary to remind also some historical moments having fatal value for Shusha. Within the last century Shusha repeatedly became a victim of intrigues of Armenians. In 1905-1907 the city was locked by the Armenian bandits and is burned. In 1920 they destroyed the most part of the city. After creation in the territory of Azerbaijan under pressure of Armenians and Bolshevik pro-Armenian of NKAR, by Shusha’s same forced method it was included in administrative composition of the called area.
Last time after disorder of the Soviet mode the wound was put to Shusha. On May 7-8, 1992 intensive shelling of the city was realized. The shelling proceeded to six o’clock in the morning on the eighth of May. After that about one thousand soldiers of the opponent stormed Shusha from three sides. Let’s mark that this attack was made with support of 40 units of armor technique of the 366th regiment deployed in Hankendi (Stepanakert), in advance transferred by Russia to Armenians. Thus, on May 8, 1992 the city of Shusha and the 38th settlement of the region of the same name were occupied by the armed Armenian aggressors.
During fights for Shusha 480 civilians were killed, 600 people are wounded, 150 from them became disabled people, 552 children remained orphans, 68 civilians are taken hostage or were missing.
As a result of occupation of the Shusha region 23156 Azerbaijanis were expelled from the places of permanent residence, than was completed ethnic cleaning in Nagorno-Karabakh where didn’t remain any Azerbaijani.
Occupation of this region of Azerbaijan and to citizens of this country put the huge material, moral, physical damage. The preliminary amount of the material damage only on the Shusha region makes 4,3 billion US dollars, besides this amount belongs by the time of occupation.
In addition to a set of personal houses, the modern public constructions, in Shusha there were 170 memorial buildings of architecture and 160 monuments of art of the last. In time and after occupation Armenians cruelly finished with all cultural and historical city monuments. As a result of carried out by Armenians with special intensity of destructive activities real history, Shusha’s cultural, engineering and architectural appearance almost completely disappeared.
Only 10 days later after Shusha’s occupation – on May 18, 1992 the Armenian-Russian armed forces thrown to approaches of Lachin – about 12 tanks, 20 BMP, 3 “Grad” installations (the most part of this technique was locked by Armenians in case of Shusha’s occupation) and about 2700 people of manpower, besides, concentrated at the city of Goris of Armenia one tank company, two battalions of the infantry, two art batteries, and also the mortar battery and staff of a company of special troops of the former 7th army of Russia attacked Lachin. The military Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters of the called army covered the Armenian forces from air. As a result of this joint attack the Lachin region was occupied. By the way, the radio intercepts made at that time, give the full grounds to claim that the general manual of operation on Lachin’s capture was realized by high officers from the above army of Russia which is deploying in the city of Goris.
In 127 settlements of this region stretched in the territory in 1835 of square kilometers, lived over 63 thousand people who became internally displaced persons and were temporarily settled in tens country regions.
By estimation for the beginning of the 90th years of the XX century, occupation of the Lachin region by Armenia caused damage to economy of Azerbaijan, calculated in the amount of 7,1 billion US dollars. As a result of the Armenian occupation over 30 cultural and historical monuments, tens enterprises of light industry and agriculture were destroyed, hundreds objects of culture, educations, health care, transport, communication, in a word, all infrastructure of the region is destroyed, all terrestrial and underground richness of this region is plundered.
Lachin’s occupation caused huge damage to also historical heritage of Azerbaijan: here invaluable historical, cultural, architectural, religious monuments are destroyed. There is an information that more than two years ago in the territory of the region the treasure with the antiques having great historical value was found. It had 112 specimens of gold, silver and bronze, and it was taken out to Armenia, and further is declared there by “national property”.
Since occupation time, Armenia according to the special plan intensively occupies the city of Lachin, (it renamed into Berdzor) and all territory of the region of the same name (it is renamed in Kashatagh). According to unverified data, to this day hundreds Armenian families here are lodged, and recently the main part of settling is made by the Syrian Armenians. And this illegal step is carried out by the aggressor country consciously: official Yerevan repeatedly openly declared that Lachin which, by the way, is the overland way, connecting Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, won’t be returned at all to Azerbaijan.
But all this, of course is Armenian fairy tales. Both Shusha, and Lachin, and remaining occupied territories of Azerbaijan, including Nagorno-Karabakh, will be won from the invader, and territorial integrity of the country will be inevitable is regenerated.
Hikmet ALLAHVERDI
Honorable way of fights for freedom and independence
Azerbaijani Democratic Republic – 95 years
The first independent, democratic state in the whole Muslim East – Azerbaijani Democratic Republic is 95 years old. February revolution in Russia in 1917 gave an impulse for activation of the national movement in Azerbaijan. At the first assembly of “Musavat” party held in the end of October of the same year in Baku, there was defined the future tactics and strategy of the organization in the struggle for independence.
After invasion of powers in Russia by Bolsheviks, they confirmed high authority of Baku Soviet (BS) led by the enemy of Azerbaijani nation Stepan Shaumyan. He organized the bloody massacre of armless Muslims by several thousands of soldiers of Armenian party “Dashnaksutyun” in March 1918 in Baku. The reason was the provocative fire at equestrian squad of Red Army which organizers were Armenians. Bloody activities of Armenians didn’t end just in Baku, they realized mass carnage also in other regions of Azerbaijan – Lankaran, Shamakhi, Guba, Salyan, Kurdamir e. t. c.
In April 1918 in Iravan province Armenians organized interethnic enmity. Trying to create the compact Armenian-populated region for the aim of establishment of the independence of Armenia, the armed Armenian bands started committing mass carnage and deportation of Azerbaijanis from the mentioned region. The complicated situation created urgency and suitable moment for establishing the independent state. Azerbaijan stated its independence on 28 May 1918. So, there was created Azerbaijani Democratic Republic (ADR) which founder was Mammadamin Rasulzadeh, the head of the first council of ministers of ADR was Fatali-khan-Khoyskiy. It should be mentioned that due to the complicated situation in Azerbaijan, the first government of ADR was formed in Tiflis.
Very important events happened in the life of the young ADR in June 1918. Firstly, there was signed an agreement about peace and friendship between Turkey and ADR which guaranteed the safety of the young republic.
On 16 June the leadership moved to Ganja from Tiflis. On 27 June Azerbaijani was stated as the official state language of ADR. On September 9 there was adopted three colored flag consisting of blue, red and green strikes with white half-moon and eight-sided star. These colors of the flag of ADR symbolized the Turkish national culture, modern European democratic and Islam civilization. But S. Shaumyan did everything for preventing the independence of Azerbaijan. According to his order, armed forces of BS started attacking on Ganja. Appeared hard situation and leadership of ADR had to ask Turkey for military support. Due to the above-mentioned Turkish-Azerbaijani agreement, Turkey made its support. Turkish-Azerbaijani soldiers defeated the army of BS near Goychay region, and the army entered to Baku on 15 September 1918 and started controlling over the situation. On 7 December 1918 there was opened the parliament of Azerbaijani Republic which Alimardan bey Topchubashov was appointed as the chairman.
At the same time Armenian side didn’t stop its territorial claims against ADR. Azerbaijani government tried hard to make contact with the Armenian side, but the attempts ended with unlucky results always. It should be mentioned that in May 1918 when Armenia stated its independence, it hadn’t even the capital. Considering the difficulty of the situation when the region was entirely controlled by Armenians under pressure of Russian side, National Soviet of Azerbaijan conceded Iravan to Armenia on 29 May 1918. We should underline that even after when Iravan was given to Armenia, its territory covered just 9.8 thousand square kilometer and territory of Azerbaijan covered 114 thousand square kilometer.
Armenian Republic which was created in the native Azerbaijani territories started demonstrating territorial claims against Azerbaijan-Zangazur, Nakhchivan and the mountainous part of Karabakh from the first day of its existence. Armed bands of Andranik Ozanyan entered to Zangazur and committed massacre of Azerbaijanis in summer1918. But all his attempts for entering to Shusha were failed as the result of brave resistance of Azerbaijani population.
The aim of the leadership of Armenia was to drive out Azerbaijanis who organized the majority of local population and adopted any measures including terror and threatens. Hundreds of Azerbaijani villages were destroyed and burnt, tens of innocent habitants were killed in the southern part of Iravan province, hundred thousands of Azerbaijanis became to IDPs.
Although there was signed an agreement on 23 November 1919 between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Tiflis about stopping military activities and solving all disputable problems by peace, Armenian armed forces, disturbing conditions of the mentioned agreement, again attacked on Zangazur.
Soviet Russia, not accepting the independence of Azerbaijan, provoked Armenian rebellion in Karabakh, Ganja and Gazakh provinces that made Azerbaijan invade all its armed forces in those places. Using this opportunity, parts of XI Red Army crossed Azerbaijani border and invaded Baku on 28 April 1920. Result of intervention of Soviet Russia was the failure of ADR which could exist less than two years. But the heroic Azerbaijani nation, being under control of soviet regime during seven decades, again started fighting for independence in the end of eighties-beginning of nineties of the previous century thanks to bravery, its decisive character and strong dreams for independence and liberty and could reach restoration of sovereignty, three-colored flag, blazon and hymn.
Crossing the bloody and honorable way of fights, bravely meeting all difficulties, Azerbaijan became to the leading state in South Caucasus in all fields at present, became to solid partner of world countries. Yes, the sovereign Azerbaijan still has a great problem about the territories occupied by Armenians. But it has all means for restoration of the territorial integrity and no doubt that at the very recent time it will solve its main problem by any means.
Jala IBRAHIMOVA
Sarsang bomb
Put by Armenians can explode in any time
We aren’t talking about any weapon or bomb, it is about Sarsang reservoir of Azerbaijan, and the word “bomb” we haven’t included willfully as the underlined pool has a role of a real bomb at the present time which has put by Armenians under the whole safety of our country and which can become to source of great human catastrophe in any moment.
Also press-conference was dedicated to the topic organized by Association for Civil Society Development in Azerbaijan (ACSDA) where it was also talked about the project of organization “Sarsang – prevention of human disaster”, related with the underlined reservoir, also the present real attitude of international community to the problem of Armenian-Azerbaijani war and sides of the conflict.
Vice-president of ACSDA Vali Alibayov, chairman of the above-mentioned project, firstly informed the participants of press-conference about Sarsang reservoir and informed that the pool was commissioned in 1976 and was one of the most sinker ones in the region (125 meters). He noted that due to existing facts, during the last twenty five years the reservoir and also two more pools in the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenians, appeared in emergency conditions as the result of neglect. In condition of industrial accidents or intentionally undermining of dam by Armenians that is completely expectable considering the fascist politics of Armenia, 500 thousand populations of several Azerbaijani regions would meet the inevitable carnage.
V. Alibayov stopped on main directions of their activity about realization of the above-mentioned project: 1) Informing UN General Assembly and Security Council, European parliament and Council of Ministers, European Council, the OSCE general secretary and co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group about destruction of dams in reservoirs; 2) Holding regular monitoring of technical situation in the pools; 3) Estimation of damages of the economics of Azerbaijan and population as the result of changing of seasonal water flow from reservoirs; 4) Preparation of programs of activity connected with provision of safety of population of the region in condition of accident at reservoirs; 5) Informing of the world community, local bodies and population about risk for the population of the country which can appear by the way of willfully creation of accidents in reservoirs by Armenian Republic and its armed forces.
Chairman of the project underlined that realization of such large-scaled half-year longing project wasn’t under power of only ACSDA, that’s why the organization would work in partnership with relevant state bodies, including Open Joint-Stock Association for Reclamation and Water Farming, Ministries of Emergency Situations, Ecology and Natural Resources, Education, Health, the leadership of Aghdam, Tartar, Agstafa regions, with public organizations and civil societies of Azerbaijan.
Deputy of Azerbaijani parliament, president of ASDCSA Elkhan Suleymanov, making a speech before participants of the press-conference, said: “I consider that the problem of the present situation of Sarsang reservoir is a very great and urgent problem which requires making alarm before the world community, the problem of exposure of Armenian aggression and occupation. That’s why we – politicians, state bodies, every citizen of the country must act in this direction”. Underlining the necessity of periodical restoration-constructional measures in the reservoirs, he noted that from the times of Armenian occupation – during 21 years there wasn’t done anything in this direction and the reservoir is in situation of neglect. There must be done immediate restoration-constructive measures, or the accident is inevitable. And I’m not talking about possible diversion of Armenians yet. In all cases, an accident would be very horrible for our population… Tragedy is seemed even now. The harmed dam is ruined and bombed by Armenians and for an hour more than 200 habituated points of Tartar region stay under water, and after 2-3 hours 6 more regions would be annihilated completely. Can you imagine it?”.
Talking about the urgency of delivering the problems of Azerbaijan to the world community, the orator also touched to the unbelievable indifferent attitude of the international structures: “They not only ignore our appeals, but also don’t feel our tragedies, there is appeared such situation that they even don’t want to hear us. And all these is said by me – the representative of Azerbaijan in the international structures – chairman of Azerbaijani delegation in European Council and member of two more structure organizations in European Council – basing on observations of three years”, – he said.
Then E. Suleymanov talked about concrete facts about the disparaging attitude of international societies to Azerbaijan and its problems, noting the unfitness of resolutions adopted by the authoritative international organizations over Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict: “They all, those documents – 4 resolutions of UN Security Council, 2 resolutions of EC, 2 resolutions of European Parliament, resolutions of the OSCE – is thinner even than wipes which we at least clean our hands with. Majority of them are deplorably useless for their illogicality, mediocrity. The favorite expression in all these documents is “we condemn it”. More than 20 thousand innocent habitants of Azerbaijan died, nearly 900 habituated points were destroyed, more than million people became to refugees and IDPs, the country was applied damage in amount of hundreds of billions dollar, and I except the moral damage of the people – nation, and they calmly say “we condemn it”. Can you imagine? I kill a person without any reason, a policeman comes and says: “I condemn it”. It is completely absurd! Such attitude is also being observed in Khojali airport problem. The aggressor Armenia built the underlined object at the territory of Azerbaijan and is going to use it. And the international organizations say: “We condemn it”. Here’s how the situation!”.
Continuing talking about the topic of double-sided, indifferent attitude of international organizations to the sides of the conflict, the orator touched the pressure on Azerbaijan related with amnesty of Ramil Safarov: “Azerbaijan hasn’t any liabilities before European Council. They apply sanctions against our country when the president I. Aliyev pardoned R. Safarov using his constitutional right. 1250 citizens of Azerbaijan including children were killed by Armenians during existence of the regime of ceasefire, but none of them was expressed in world press, it wasn’t mentioned by any international organization. Why? Because they’re Muslims, and due to their consciousness, a Muslim should be killed. By the way, I wrote a letter to the chairman of European Parliament Martin Shulc about R. Safarov problem. Here’s what he answered to me: as if he hoped that Armenia and Azerbaijan would eliminate the complicated conflict related with Nagorno-Karabakh and pay attention to regional partnership. Do you see how they try to fool us with such “deep philosophical” expressions for the benefit of Armenians?”. Even there’re organizations making step against interests of not only Azerbaijan, but also international law and principles. For example, there has been organized forum of countries of Western partnership recently in Erevan where Nagorno-Karabakh (NK) has been allowed to take part as an independent side. The deputy informed that Armenians introduced a document to EC consisting of 125 articles and he demonstrated one of them as a sample: “It is suggested that there shouldn’t be any barrier in entrance and exit from NK. Pay attention, European Parliament in 2010 and 2011 adopted resolutions about recognition of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. What territorial integrity can be talked about as anybody would be able to enter and exit NK whenever he wants and do anything there without permission of Azerbaijan?”
E. Suleymanov strictly criticized the activity of the OSCE Minsk Group. He stated that the group was working for Armenia: “Why Armenia and European Council like Minks Group? Because it doesn’t work and prolongs the time. What does it mean? This is an epochal solution of the problem in benefit of Armenia. 25 years have passed, 25 years more will past and 50 years old citizen of Azerbaijan will completely forget Karabakh. Here’s the problem “is solved”. Here I want to touch one more real moment. For my opinion, liberation of the occupied Azerbaijani lands by peace is just a tale! The past time proved it”. The deputy of Milli Majlis, chairman of Azerbaijani delegation of European Council Parliamentary Assembly informed that the group of deputies of European Parliament made a suggestion to the Department of Minister of EC to adopt a document over occupation of Azerbaijani territories in the period of presidency of Armenia which will start from July of the present year and to inform about results in 6 months. He added: “But I believe that there won’t be any result. Because when 5-10 honorable politicians require something basing on facts, they take some measures. But of course, only on paper, just formally”. Informing that there was made a suggestion by 31 deputies from 8 member countries of PACE about resolution over the last presidential elections in Armenia which was trusted to CM of the CE, E. Suleymanov was questioned: “Can a bandit be a judge? How an aggressor-country can lead over such official body?”. He mentioned of his appeal to the leadership of PACE about those elections where he wrote: “Doesn’t the positive estimation of the elections in the country which occupied territories of another country and membership in Council of Europe of the occupier-country contradict to democracy, human rights, high law and principles?”
E. Suleymanov also touched the question of the Committee CE over NK organized in 2010: “This Committee didn’t work even a day. But nobody from officials of CE have said even a word about this moment. Armenians say: “CE isn’t at such high level that would solve NK problem” and representatives of CE accept this insult as praise”.
At last the orator returned to the project of ACSDA over Sarsang reservoir and noted that the underlined problem wasn’t one of simple ones: “Main aim of the project is not to let happen any great catastrophe, to provide safety of 500 thousand populations of seven regions, also prevent the possible harm to agriculture. I consider that the project is very topical and fateful. I hope that with support of state bodies and republic associations we will be able to realize this project”. He also noted that as a chairman of Azerbaijani delegation in Euronest, they has worked the project of resolution about expectable humanitarian lose related with accidental position of Sarsang reservoir which has appeared as the result of Armenian occupation. E. Suleymanov and V. Alibayov answered to questions interesting for correspondents too.
G. ZEYNALOGLU,
“Voice of Karabakh”
Tribune of Internally displaced persons
Armenians – animals in human society
21 years have passed from the bloody events in Khojali. But the wound harmed by Armenians, hasn’t recovered, it will never recover as this scar in our hearts is incurable.
I –a living witness and one of the suffered persons from those events want to share my hard memories with readers. Together with my brothers Faig and Namig I was fighting in battalion of self-defense of the lieutenant Tofig Huseynov who awarded posthumously with honorary title of National Hero of Azerbaijan. Faig was a student of full-time section of Ganja Technical University, but he had to change his education to correspondence section to take part in defense of native Khojali.
At the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 Armenian-Russian armed forces started intensively shooting at the city from all sides. My wife and son were at home. I was running to home in hurry. They and neighbors assembled at home not knowing what to do. Realizing that the situation would permanently get desperate, I held them to the forest. We started going towards Aghdam over the forest, but soon we met ambush of Armenians. They started firing us which as the result many of us died. However I lost my family there. Together with me there was my aunt, friend Khuraman with two babies, her brother Rovshan who was limping of the frozen leg. I called my brother Faig who was carrying my six years old son Siraj on his arms. At that time they started shooting at us. We rolled down from the forest and I lost my brother and son. I searched for them. I thought that if they were dead, I could at least take their dead bodies. Nobody from Khojaly whom I met didn’t see them. After a little time I with my villagers reached to Kyatik village where Armenians were living. Zahid’s – our villager policeman’s foot was frozen and he couldn’t walk anymore. We dragged him to the bush of blackberry that we could take him then in appropriate time.
Suddenly we saw people coming to us. And I saw my wife Saida unclothed with bandaged head. I cut my scarf and tied her feet. Coming back we took Zahid and continued going. At that time we heard something in Azerbaijani: “Come here, we are Azerbaijanis”. After less than two minutes Armenians surrounded us. Taking us as captives they led us to farm where were many our villagers as captives among whom I saw my son, father, brother and aunt. Three days they hardly tortured me reasoning that I had a gun on myself, they made me stand on one leg for hours. Before eyes of my little son they broke my nose, finger, shoulders and burnt my hand. While they were torturing me, my son was crying and they beat him too. They used all kinds of tortures in attitude with our relatives: men were wildly beaten, pregnant women’s stomach were pierced, they burnt bodies of people with hot iron, pulled out teeth with pincers, removed scalp from heads of the captives. They also tied our brothers Turkish-Mashatians to each other and fired before us.
They took my brother Namig with the villager Kamil wherever and we couldn’t get any information about them till today. Armenians killed Faig. They put the gun on his head and required him to say that “Karabakh belonged to Armenia”. And he answered: “Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan”. They killed him shooting at head. He died repeating the following: “Or Karabakh, or death!”
I have told maybe the hundredth, or thousandth part of what I saw and felt. No, a man can’t do all these. Such things can be done only by Armenians – animals in human society.
Yashar ALIMAMMADOV,
internally displaced person from Khojali