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On Sunday, in Spain at San Juan de la Cruz an event was held dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Sumgait massacres.

The Armenian Charge d'Affaires in Spain Khoren Terteryan made a speech to the Armenians of Spain. He presented the reasons and consequences of the tragic events. The movie telling about the massacres in Sumgait was shown.
In Batumi as well they have given tribute to victims of the massacre.

Events dedicated to the 25th of Sumgait genocide and Artsakh movement was held in Batumi organized by the General Consulate and the efforts of the Armenian community.

In the Kiev International University as well, a round table and a documentary film dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Armenian pogroms in Sumgait was organized. As Analitika.at.ua executive director of the Armenian community of Kiev Hasmik Melkumyan reported the event was attended by representatives of the Armenian diaspora, famous Ukrainian public figures and active youth.

On 26-29 February 1988 in terms of actual complicity of local authorities and inaction of the USSR government mass pogroms of civilians were organized in Sumgait city of Azerbaijani SSR, accompanied with unprecedented brutal murders, violence and pillaging against the Armenian population of the city. Armenian pogroms in Sumgait were carefully organized. At the meetings, which began on February 26 in the central square, city leaders openly called for violence against the Armenians.

On February 27 protests which were attended by hundreds of rioters turned into violence. Armed with axes, knives, specially sharpened rebar, rocks and cans of gasoline and with the pre-compiled lists of apartments where Armenians lived the rioters broke into the houses, turning everything upside down there and killing the owners. In the same time, people were often taken out to the streets or to the courtyard for jeering at them publicly. After painful humiliations and torture the victims were doused with gasoline and burnt alive.

On February 29 army troops entered Sumgait but without an order to intervene. Only in the evening, when the mad crowd began to attack the soldiers the military units took up decisive steps.

The exact number of victims of Sumgait pogroms is still unknown. According to official data, 32 people were killed; however there is ample evidence that several hundred Armenians have been killed in the city in three days. There is also evidence that the riots were coordinated by KGB in Azerbaijan. Executioners of Sumgait were subsequently declared as national heroes of Azerbaijan.

Documentary “Ordinary Genocide: Sumgait 1988”