Azerbaijan marks Genocide anniversary

Azeris urge world recognition for the genocide

Azerbaijan people mourned over March 31, the Genocide Day of Azerbaijanis with a number of undertakings held.

On this day, March 31 of 1918 tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis were killed by Armenians under the Bolshevik cover. It is noteworthy that Armenians pursued the genocide in the heart of Azerbaijan, the capital Baku.

It was not only human lives that were claimed, but also historic and architectural monuments of Azerbaijan, schools and hospitals. Most of Baku was turned into ruins in the atrocities.

President Aliyev did homage to the Cemetery of Martyrs, laying flowers to the Eternal Fire at the Memorial Complex and paying tribute to those who were killed in the genocide and fell victim to the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Attending the ceremony, foreign diplomats and representatives from international organizations conveyed condolences to President Aliyev on behalf of their presidents.

On Sunday monuments to the victims of the genocide were opened in Guba and Shamakhy and the first lessons at high schools were dedicated to the massacres.

The date has been marked since 1998, when President Aliyev issued an edict “On genocide of Azerbaijanis”, as the first document to give political and legal assessment to the atrocities perpetrated by Armenians in the name of their “Great Armenia” obsession.

World recognition urged

A roundtable on the Genocide Day of Azeris held at the UN Resource and Training Center Thursday has adopted an appeal to the international organizations and world nations to recognize the genocide of Azerbaijani people by Armenians. An appeal was sent to the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijan parliament), foreign diplomatic missions in Azerbaijan and the Coordination Council of Azerbaijan Diaspora.

Another gathering held by the Union of Independent Youth also aimed to push the issue to international spotlight, sending an appeal to the UN.

Call to denounce aggression

The Caucasus clerical leader has addressed world nations, parliaments, heads of state and religious figures calling to condemn Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan on the occasion of the Genocide Day.

Sheik Pashazadeh voiced hope that the international community would support the Azerbaijan people, condemning the aggressive policy of Armenia and forging relations with her as an aggressor and a savage terrorist country.

Bishop Alexander and Mr. Iikhilov, leader of the Mountainous Jews, backed the address.

The support came in an undertaking held by the Caucasus Clerical Office in Baku on Friday.

1 mln killed, 2 mln deported

1 million Azeris were killed and 2 million deported as a result of genocide committed over the past two centuries, state advisor for national policy issues Hidayat Orujov told a news conference dedicated to the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis Friday. Also attending the event were diplomats accredited in Baku.

Thus, in 1905-1907 tens of thousands of Azeri civilians were killed in Iravan, Vedibasar, Zangazur, and Garabagh, while 20,000 in Baku, 50,000 in Shamakhy, 20,000 in Guba and over 70,000 in Zangazur, Vedibasar, Iravan and Nackchivan were slaughtered on March 31 of 1918.

Referring to Armenian sources, state advisor said Azerbaijan lost a great deal of its lands while being within the Russia Empire and the USSR. Deportation of Azeris from Iravan, Zangazur and Goycha, historic regions of Azerbaijan, aimed to increase the number of Armenians in these provinces.

Azeri populations started to be gradually deported following the Turkmanchay treaty with Iran in 1813.

The genocide was pursued in the 20th century too. Originally, the territory of Armenia was 9,000 square kilometers within the USSR, but it soon occupied 29 square kilometers of lands of Azerbaijan. Now, Armenia controls 45 square kilometers of territories, including the occupied Azeri lands.