Politics 17:14 01/03/2017 World

Arab newspaper: Azerbaijan actively speculates on Aghdam events in order to distract attention from pogroms of Armenians

Embassy of Armenia in Syria published an article in the influential Arab newspaper Al-Watan presenting Azerbaijan’s manipulations and falsifications about Aghdam events. 

It is noted that in early 1992, Azerbaijan used Khlojaly in order to fire Karabakh’s capital Stepanakert. As a result, houses, schools, hospitals, and buildings of state institutions were destroyed. The Azerbaijani authorities turned Khojlay into a firing point closing access to Karabakh’s only airport, through which the population was provided with food and medicine.

Moreover, Azerbaijan used Khojaly as a firing point for shelling the nearby Armenian-populated villages. Therefore, the neutralization of Khojaly’s firing point by the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic Defense Army forces was a justified measure from the point of view of saving the civilians.

Following the start of the military operation on the neutralization of the firing point, the civilian population used the humanitarian corridor left by the Armenian side in order to move to Aghdam, which was under Azerbaijan’s control at that time. However, the population faced bloody events there.

Therefore, the authors emphasize that it is obvious that the Azerbaijani authorities failed the evacuation of the civilian population from the settlement and that they are responsible for the death of hundreds of people in Aghdam.

“Since then, Baku adopted the strategy of falsifying all the facts and materials of that humanitarian catastrophe and disseminating hatred and horror towards the Armenians among the representatives of the international community,” the article reads.

Falsifying photos is one of Azerbaijan’s most common methods. The authorities use photos of the Kosovo War, victims of 1983 earthquake in Turkey, poor children in Afghanistan, as well as corpses of Hamas militants in Palestine presenting them as Azerbaijanis, who were killed by the Armenians.

“We all have to work on raising the awareness of the international community in order to expose Azerbaijan’s lies. The aim of the active propaganda of ‘Khojaly events’ is to distract the international community’s attention from the pogroms of the Armenians in Sumgait, Baku, Kirovabad, and other Azerbaijani settlements, ethnic cleansing of the Armenians in 28 villages, as well as tragic events in Maragha,” the authors note.
They also highlight that the Azerbaijani side tries to distort Armenia’s international image speculating on the memory of the civilians, who became victims to internal political intrigues and struggle for power in Azerbaijan.

The real perpetrator of the tragedy is Azerbaijan’s Popular Front led by Abulfaz Elchibey. He became the country’s president after the Aghdam events and started to speculate on those events in order to get rid of the former president, Ayaz Mutallibov.

Therefore, Azerbaijan’s political and military leadership is responsible for the death of the civilians in Aghdam.
“The Azerbaijani side cannot answer to simple questions yet. Why the corpses of the victims were found near Aghdam, which was under the control of the Azerbaijani forces? Why there was no organized evacuation of the civilian population despite the Armenians’ warnings on the adio?” the authors wonder.

It is also noted that in subsequent years, the civil rights activists and journalists, who attempted to reveal the truth, were either arrested under the pretext of collaborating with the Security Services of Armenia or died under unclear circumstances. That is why nobody dares to demand that the authorities reveal the truth.
Summing up, the authors note that Azerbaijan continues to disseminate intolerance and armenophobia in the society, and that politics makes the dialogue difficult between the two nations.

On February 26, 1992, during the Karabakh war, around 200 to 300 people (according to Human Rights Watch, and 600 according to the version propagated by Azerbaijan) were killed in unknown circumstances near the city of Aghdam. They were deliberately withheld by the Azerbaijani authorities in the midst of the military actions. The authorities of Azerbaijan intentionally kept the population in the village for months by force and did not evacuate them in order to use them as human shields later as the village was one of the firing points for shooting at the blockaded Stepanakert (among five others).

The residents of Khojaly, coming out through the humanitarian corridor the self-defense forces of the NKR had left open, freely passed more than 10 km and reached the Aghdam city controlled by the Azerbaijani troops. Later, dead bodies of the villagers were foundnot far from the positions of Azerbaijani troops. The exact death toll remains unknown as the official Baku publishes data contradicting each other. Parliamentary Commission investigating the tragic death of the civilians at Aghdam city was dissolved by the order of Heydar Aliyev, the investigative materials are kept secret.



Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

13:08
Armenian government backs EU accession bid
The Armenian government has expressed support for a legislative initiative to launch a process for the country’s accession to the European...
12:36
Baku TV again falsely presents ancient Armenian church as Azerbaijani heritage
A pro-government TV channel in Baku has once again falsely presented the 7th-century Armenian monastery of Harichavank as part of...
12:00
Lucas Zelarayán returns to Belgrano
Belgrano de Córdoba has officially announced the return of Lucas Zelarayán after weeks of uncertainty, during which the club...
11:45
Fog hits Armenian town
The Rescue Service has warned drivers of a road closure in Armenia as of  Thursday morning. In particular, the road...
11:33
Hobart International: Elina Avanesyan through to semifinals
Armenian Elina Avanesyan, the No 6 seed, advanced to the last four of the Hobart International after American Amanda Anisimova, the No 3 seed,...
11:22
Armenian school destroyed in California wildfires
As the windstorm wreaking havoc across Los Angeles County continues to rage, its devastating impact has left thousands homeless, evacuated,...
17:07
Screen Actors Guild Awards cancel live nominations due to Los Angeles wildfires
The Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) nominations have cancelled an in-person announcement planned for today due to devastating wildfires and...
16:53
Ex-ombudsman urges escape from Armenian government's 'propaganda trap'
Former Armenian Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan has warned of existential threats facing Armenia following Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s...
16:11
Iran's top security official to visit Armenia after Azerbaijan tour
The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has arrived in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, for political and security...
15:33
Aliyev, an aggressor, demands human behavior from others
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev seems to be rapidly "thriving" in his rhetoric. His brazen comments, especially after the...
14:34
Human metapneumovirus causes relatively mild symptoms, WHO says
“Amid reports of rising wintertime respiratory infections in China – including human metapneumovirus – and the impact on...
14:07
Armenian deputy sports minister resigns
Armenia’s Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Zhanna Andreasyan on Wednesday confirmed the resignation of her deputy,...
13:30
Pashinyan responds to Aliyev
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan responded to the latest statements by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in an interview with...
13:16
Meta ends fact-checking on Facebook, Instagram
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Tuesday the social media giant was rolling back the use of third-party fact-checkers on its platforms, starting...
13:05
Armenian, Azeri border commissions to hold fresh talks soon
The Armenian and Azerbaijani border delimitation commissions, led by the deputy prime ministers of the two countries, will hold a new round of...
12:36
Aliyev's threats against Armenia should serve as a 'wake-up call', politician warns
Opposition politician Eduard Sharmazanov has warned that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s fresh threats against Armenia should serve...
12:05
Hobart International: Elina Avanesyan advances to quarterfinals
Armenian Elina Avanesyan, the No 6 seed, defeated Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen 6-2, 6-2 to move into the quarterfinals of the WTA...
11:30
Rescuers in Armenia free 4 stranded vehicles in one day
The crisis management centers of Kotayk and Aragatsotn Provinces received reports of vehicles trapped on several roads in Armenia over the past...
11:20
Lladro produces 'Karabagh Horse' porcelain figurines as propaganda for Azerbaijan
By Harut Sassounian www.TheCaliforniaCourier.com Regrettably, the only things that matter in this world are money and power. All the...
11:11
Trump says meeting with Putin possible after inauguration
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has said again that he is eager to see negotiations with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine begin soon after...
17:00
Winter military draft kicks off in Armenia
The winter conscription for compulsory military service commenced in Armenia on Tuesday. A solemn ceremony was held at the Sardarapat...
16:30
New Armenian envoy hands over credentials to Iranian president
Armenian Ambassador to Iran Grigor Hakobyan on Tuesday presented his credentials to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the...
16:04
Specialist names acute respiratory infections prevalent in Armenia
Armenia is currently experiencing moderate activity related to acute respiratory infections, according to Romella Abovyan, head of the...
15:30
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck finalize divorce
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are officially divorced, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. The judgment comes nearly 20 weeks...
15:00
ICRC staff visits Artsakh leaders illegally held in Baku
Employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) visited Artsakh's military and political leaders illegally detained in...
14:32
Armenia marks Remembrance Day of the Dead
On January 7, Armenia commemorates Merelots, the Remembrance Day of the Dead, which traditionally follows major religious holidays. The...
14:07
Temperatures to hit 17C in Armenia's Syunik
Dry weather is expected across Armenia’s regions throughout this week. Drivers are warned to watch out for black ice on some...
13:36
Armenian expert warns of rising tensions over 'Zangezur Corridor' in 2025
Turkologist Varuzhan Geghamyan has reacted to Azerbaijan’s false reports about the so-called “Zangezur Corridor” through...
13:06
Heavy snow leaves 10 cars stranded in Armenia
On January 6-7, the crisis management centers of Vayots Dzor, Aragatsotn, Kotayk and Lori Provinces received reports of vehicles trapped on...
12:30
At least 53 killed as powerful earthquake hits Tibet
A strong earthquake killed at least 53 people in Tibet on Tuesday and left many others trapped as dozens of aftershocks shook the high-altitude...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}