Aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan

Ancient history: etymology, territory and borders

Garabagh is one of the ancient regions of Azerbaijan. The name of this inseparable part of Azerbaijan consists of two different Azerbaijani words: "gara" (black) and "bag" (garden). The combination of these two words is as ancient as the nation of Azerbaijan. The association of these two combined words with the definite part of Azerbaijan in every part of the world is an oracle. The word Karabakh given by the Azerbaijan nation to a part of their native lands was used for the first time 1,300 years ago (in the 7th century)!?. At first, Karabakh was used as a historical-geographical definition, but it later transformed to cover a larger geographical area. By the way, this aspect is very typical for Azerbaijan: Nakhchivan city - Nakhchivan region, Sheki city - Shaki region, Ganja city - Ganja region, Lenkoran city- Lenkoran region and etc.

The history of the formation of Garabagh as a name of one particular region, provides a better scientific explanation for its etymology. Because the word "gara" has other meanings in Azerbaijani language (also in other Turkic languages) as well - such as "sih" (dense), "galin" (thick), "boyuk" (big, large), "tund" (strong), and others. From this point of view the term Karabakh gets such meanings as "gara bag" (dark garden), that is "boyuk bag" (a large garden), "six bag" (a dense garden), "galin bag" (a thick garden), "safali bag" (a picturesque garden) and others. Thus, the word "Karabakh" belongs to Azerbaijani people as Karabakh does itself.

When Karabakh is a topic of discussions, the question of the location of Karabakh arises at first. What part of Azerbaijan does include Karabakh? The answer to this question of a high importance, and it is necessary to understand the problem of "Daghlig Garabagh" produced by the Armenians. Let us address ourselves to the origins in order to answer the question. When Karabakh khanate of Azerbaijan included this territory its regent Mirza Jamal Javanshir in consideration of this question in his work the "History of Karabakh" wrote: "According to the ancient historical books the frontiers of Karabakh are: from the south the river Araz - from Hudapharin Bridge to Sinig Bridge. At present the population of Gazah, Shamseddin and Demerchi-Hesenly lives near this bridge and Russian Tatars call it using the Russian term Krasniy Most that is the Red Bridge. From the east - the Kur River, which flows into the Araz River in Javad village and flows into the Caspian Sea. From the north - the Goran River, which flows from the Yelizavetpol frontier of Karabakh to the Kur Riverr, crosses it in many parts and riches the Araz River. From the west - the high mountains of Karabakh called Kusbek, Salvarti, Erikli. 

Such a detailed description of the territory and frontiers of Karabakh at the first stages of Russian occupation and colonization are explained by the following factors: 1) this fact is described by an official person directly connected with the government of Karabakh, in other words, this fact is reflected in an official document composed by an official representative of Russia; 2) on the other hand this fact is not only based at practices and realities, but it also finds reflection in the references. It is not occasional that ancient books are used to prove the position of Mirza Jamal. There was a general definition of Karabakh, which was not used only for Daghlig Garabagh, but for both mountainous and plain parts. In other words, the word combination of "Daglig Garabag"(Mountainous Karabakh) is a product of the subsequent periods, the name given to the one of the part of Karabakh as a result of separatist intentions. Even an ordinary logic proves this fact: If there is "Daglig Garabag" then there must be flat or low-lying Karabakh too! The reality is that there are both Daghlig Garabagh and Low-lying Karabakh (that is flat Karabakh) in Azerbaijan! And always both low-lying (flat) and Daglig (mountainous) Karabakh during all historical periods were the motherland of one nation - the nation of Azerbaijan, the nation who has in its language the words "gara" and "bag"! Hundreds of the most ancient and rarest models of folklore, which are the brilliant musical pearls of the nation of Azerbaijan, were created in Karabakh and are related to Karabakh.

Institute of History named after A.Bakykhanov of ANAS

Karabakh Khanate

After the overthrow of the Afshar Empire led by Nadir Shah the prominent state official Panahali bey Djavanshir founded one of independent states of Azerbaijan - Karabakh. He was born in the Saridjaly village of Karabakh. Mirza Djamal, the vizier of Karabakh khanate wrote: "Late Nadir shah after occupying Karabakh, Ganja, Tiflis and Shirvan provinces, invited all the working people of cities and villages in his place and gave them job among his servants and paid them salary, they gained respect and ranks.

He also involved Panah ali khan best known as Panahali bey Sarydjaly Djavanshir, who distinguished himself in every action, was famed and unconquerable in any battle and brave in all the wars with Nadir Rum's troops (the wars with Osmanly empire in 1730th are implied here -Y.M, K.S). Yet after the Mughan congress Nadir laid punishment on those Karabakhians who did not recognize his power and exiled Muslim population to Afghanistan and Khorasan.

Panakhali's brother Farzali khan, who protested against these measures was put to death. In period of the Shakh staying in Khorasan, Panakhali bey took the occasion and run away to Karabakh province together with his relatives and closes in 1737-1738. Shah informed about his escape sent couriers after him to prevent him from running away. Nadir shah instructed the leaders of Azerbaijan, Ganja, Tiflis and Shirvan to catch Panah khan wherever they see him and send to the shah's residence. Though by the order of the shah Panah ali and his family were tormented and set a penalty, that did not work.

Thus, Panah ali khan dodged the responsibility to subdue to Nadir shah and bid to rule his native Karabakh in the most democratic way. As a result, an independent Azeri state-Karabakh khanate established following the death of Nadir shah.

After the declaration of the establishment of independent Karabakh khanate the main goal was to strengthen it. The first measure taken by Panakhali was to return those Muslims driven by Nadir shah to their native land. The return of displaced families and their resettlement of their native land strengthened Karabakh khanate. The future khan of Karabakh 15 year-old Ibragimkhalil was among those who had been first to return.

In period of Karabakh khanate establishment it did not comprise cities as Tebriz, Ardebil, Ganja, Shamakhy, Baky, Nakhichevan, Sheki, Derbend. However, the existence of such politico-economic centers would play a great role in the further development of the khanate. Beside military-political works Panah Ali also made a great progress in the military installations and establishment of towns.

One of the first steps taken in this sphere was the construction of the Bayaty tower named after the ancient Azeri-Turkish tribes bayats in 1748. "The khan assembled his family, relatives and aged men there. The people surrounding him and those who heard about his progress and kind treatment moved to the Bayaty tower from Tebriz and Ardebil.

Panakh khan's activity in the sphere of creation of an independent state promoted his official recognition. "Mirza Djamal wrote: "Adyl shah's order on the attachment of the title of "khan" to Panakh Ali and on his appointment the ruler of Karabakh khanate along with valuable dressing-gowns, golden saddled horses and a sword designed with precious stones were brought to the tower Bayaty by the close man of Serdar Amir Aslan in 1161 by the Muslim calendar, in 1745 by Christian calendar (1748 is correct).

In fact Adil shah's order was a behindhand document. The real title had been deserved much earlier than the order and regardless of it.

An unsuccessful raid of Sheki khanate to Karabakh played a great role in the recognition of Panah Alia as a leader of Karabakh khanate. Sheki khan Hadjy Chelebi, following his unsuccessful Bayaty battle announced: "Panah Ali has previously been a silver without coin. But we came and attached him this coin and went away" (or "Pahah Ali declared him khan while I confirmed it by my defeat").

These words of Hadji Cheleby turning to a popular saying had even much power than Adil shah's order. Ahmed bey Djavanshir wrote:"…After the victory (The Bayaty battle-Y.M, K.S) the legend about Panah Ali's courage subdued all Muslim tribes, residing in Karabakh, to Panah Ali with no resistance".

At the same time the Bayaty battle proved the vulnerability of the tower to further historical events. Therefore, it was necessary to construct a new one. Mirza Adygozel bey wrote: "Panah Ali khan built a tower in Ternekut best known as Shahbulaghy. He also constructed Mosques, houses and bazaars and public baths from stones and limestone. After the works were completed he settled there in 1165 (1751)".

The Kurekchay agreement

With the strengthening of Panah khan the feudal lords-monarchs, supporting scarcity, increased their subversive activity. It was necessary to prevent that by some military methods. Otherwise, the khanate would lose its territorial integrity. The original sources also confirm that.

Mir Mehdi Khazani wrote impartially: "The five of Karabakh districts have been separated and each acquired its own name…". Mirza Adygozel bey wrote about the Karabakh feuds-meliks: "Dizag is one of these feuds. Its ruler is Melik Yegan. He escaped from Lori and in period of Nadir's ruling he was appointed the melik and gained respect by an order of the shah.

The second is in Varan. Melik Shahnezer was its ruler. He is of a more ancient family and has bigger inheritance. His ancestors were the aristocrats of Goycha. Then they escaped and came to Varan province and lost their heads from the wealth they had in their lands.

The third is Khachyn. Its is ruled by the son of Hasan Djalalyan. Their majesty designed the power in a proper way and became a ruler. This family which died of this ruling career was not the independent ruler of the region. At last the state flag of the late Panah khan Djavanshir and the sun lightened every corner of Karabakh province. At that time the Khyndyrystan Melik Mirza khan by the order of these immortal state officials minted coins in the name of… After that his son Allahverdi and grandson Melik Gehreman also glorified their country.

The fourth is Chilebord district. Its ruler was Allahqulu. His ancestors were from Maghaviz. They came and became the rulers of Chilabord and settled at vaster areas in the middle stream of the Terter river. They turned the Cheymukh tower, which had a very hard destiny, into there shelter, home and land ( Cheymukh is a brief name of Chilebord" They ruled Chilabord in the most democratic way and thus became famous. .. Nadir shah gave him a title of sultan and a gown…

The fifth is the Tbilisi district. The ruler is Malik Usub. His ancestors came from Shirvan and stayed in Talysh village for some time. Some of them have been the rulers more than once. Later Melik Usub occupied the Gulistan tower and settled there."

Karabakh feud lands

Thus, except for Khachyn other rulers of Karabakh and their ancestors were not the native Karabakh residents and they had moved to the region from other places. They were not Armenians, they represented former Albanian generations. Therefore, it's incorrect to justify the territorial claims of Armenian nationalists and to regard the said rulers as the followers of Armenian state structure. On the other hand, alien rulers after the capture of power in Karabakh did not manage to unite the country.

They lived isolated and could not overcome the limits of leaders feuding with each other. Moreover, as mentioned above, none of them, except for Khachyn were original Karabakhians in period before 17th century. "The rulers represented those standing for the feudal division". The separatist centrifugal activity of the rulers hammered the process of centralization current in the khanate and in the whole country.

Their participation in the raid on Karabakh stroke a hard blow to the independence of Karabakh khanate. Therefore, the steps taken by meliks for prevention of the separatist movements were rather a struggle with plots against the independence of Karabakh khanate.

Melik Shahnazar was the first among the five feudal lands to recognize Panah Ali's power. That was due to the marriage of Ibragimkhalil to Melik Shahnazar's daughter Hurzat.

After the defeat of Khachyn melik at Ulubab Ballygaya he recognized the power of Panah khan, while the hostile policy of Dizag, Chilebord and Talish lands lasted for several years. Ahmed bey Djavanshir wrote:" The Dizag ruler Yegan who collected and saved all money of neighbor provinces after a sharp resistance was killed together with some of his relatives and sons while others were turned into Islam…

The ruler of Chilabord Allahgulu Sultan first subordinated to his power then was accused of betrayal and killed by the order of Panah Ali khan. His brother Melik Hatem Talish united with the Melik Usub and within a long period of time resisted the attacks of Panakha Ali's troops to their lands, however, after the defeat at Mardakerd village they fell back to the impregnable Chermukh tower, locating in the upper stream of the Terter river.

After a year of staying in the tower, he had to seek refuge in foreign countries together with his family. However, he did not give up his political activity. Thus, he and his antecedents (his son Melik Medjnun) constantly attacked Karabakh…". The path of Panakh Ali's progress in overriding the feudal lands was followed by his son Ibragim khan.

Among the Karabakh feudal lands, Melik Yesay of Dizaq, Medjnun of Chilebord and Beyleryan of Gulistan refused to subdue to Ibragim, while Melik Shahnazar of Varanda and Mirza khan of Khachyn recognized his power and joined the patriotic troops created by Ibragim.

The allies encircled the Tug tower in 1781. Melik Yesay surrendered and the power transferred to Melik Bahtam. Soon he turned out to be a betrayer as well.

Beginning from 1783 Russia also started to interfere with Ibragim khan's struggle against separatist feudal lords. By the help of local meliks Russia, willing to occupy South Caucasus attempted to establish a Christian state or the support for itself in Azerbaijan. At that time owing to his high diplomatic capacities Panah ali managed to assemble all hostile feudal lords in Shusha. Proving their betrayal by some documents he imprisoned them.

Melik Medjnun was imprisoned while Melik Bahtan due to his misdemeanors was delivered to the khan of Ardebil. The ally of the feudal lords, the Catholicos of Ganjasar monastery Yohannes was caught together with his brother and punished.

However, the prisoners of Shusha managed to escape. They ran away to Tbilisi and initiated a plot against Karabakh khanate under the support of Georgian tsar Irakli the Second (1744-1798) and Russian colonel Burnashov. The enemies, launching crusades to Karabakh khanate, neared Ganja. However, these crusades were unsuccessful due to the beginning of the Russian-Turkish war of 1787-1791. Ibragim khan managed to defend and preserve the integrity of independent Karabakh khanate.

Agha Mohamed Gadjar (1742-1797), who seized power in Iran in the summer of 1795, attacked Karabakh khanate. The 33 day war of Shusha was an unfortunate one. After Shusha he moved on Tbilisi. Due to the raid of the Russian troops led by V.Zubov, Agha Mohamed Gadjar fell back. With the death of the Russian tsarina Elizabeth the Second (1764-1796) Zubov was recalled to Russia. Agha Mohamed Qadjar again attacked Karabakh, occupied Shusha yet was killed there in 1797.

The invasive activity of Russia strengthened in the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan in late 18th-early 19th century. In 1801 Georgia was annexed to the empire, Azerbaijan's Djar-Belokan (1803) community and Ganja khanate (1804) were occupied.

Under such conditions Ibragim khan struck an agreement with the commander of Russian troops P.D.Sisianov (1802-1806) in Kurekchay. The agreement stipulated for Karabakh khanate to be annexed to Russia as a Muslim country-the Azerbaijani land. The Kurekchay agreement, that reflected the reality, is the most reliable document which proved that Karabakh, including its mountainous part belongs to Azerbaijan.

Institute of History named after A.Bakykhanov of ANAS

Settlement of Armenians in Karabakh

The establishment of the Armenian state under the patronage of Russia as well as the resettlement of Armenians from Turkey and Iran to the lands occupied by Russia was in no way by accident that resulted from the Russian-Armenian relations that were developed not only in trade, as stated in the Russian and Armenian history, but also in the hostile attitude towards the East Muslim states, especially Turkey and since the 18th century -Azerbaijan.

Let's pay attention to the Armenian poem "I was the tsarina" of the unknown writer of late 15th century. The poem depicts the wedding of the Russian tsar Ivan the third (1462-1505) with the princess of Byzantium Sofia Poleologh. She rejected the presents of Ivan the third and demanded the occupation of Istanbul, while Ivan the third promised to release Jerusalem and occupy Echmiadzin.

As seen, the idea of the poem is quite similar to that of the theory "Moscow-the third Rome". (The ides of Moscow as the third Rome was created after the downfall of Istanbul in 1453 and was turned to the complete theory by the architect of Yelizar Monastery Philophei in the beginning of the 16th century. This theory was based ob the statement that Russia was the heir of the property and rights of the so called second Rome of Byzantium and the union of Christian states against Turkey and other issues). The idea of the poem did not remain only in form of the wish. The steps were taken for the establishment of Russian-Armenian military and political union for the idea implementation.

The Armenian-Russian relations expanded with the occupation of Kazan (1552) and Astrakhan (1556) by Russia and Turkish wars (1635-1639, 1711, 1768-1774, 1787-1791) and the attempts to conquer the Caspian lands even strengthened. During this process the Armenians start to be resettled to Russia and their colonies were established.

The state order of the Peter the Great to the Armenian people (October 10, 1724) played a great role in this process. The order agreed on the resettlement of Armenians on the lands occupied by Russia.

This political course of Peter the First continued within a century. The armenians' resettlement and unification intensified after the victory of Russia in the Russian-Iranian war of 1804-1813 and the signing of the Gulustan agreement which divided Azerbaijan in two parts. After the occupation of Yerevan in the Russian-Iranian war of 1826-1828 the implementation of the plan was initiated. Armenian Catholicon Nerses Ashtaraketsi worked out a project on the resettlement of Armenians. A.S.Griboyedov also contributed to the development and implementation of the plan.

Nerses was invited from Petersburg for leading the resettlement of Armenians in November of 1827. He wrote to Yegiazar Lazaryan that stayed in Tebriz at that time:

"I've just asked the devoted supporter of the Armenian people A.S. Griboyedov not to forget my request about Christian refugees and their acceptance under the flag of Russian masters…I am also writing about all Armenians living in Iran (Paskevich) and now I ask you Ivan Fyodorovich Paskovich to return the towns and villages that are controlled by Iranian government to Armenia under the protection of Russia during the reconciliation".

The Turkmenchay agreement signed on February 10, 1828 stipulated for the resettlement of Armenians by its Article 15.

From Article 15: "His Majesty Shah grants presents to the population and officials of the region called Azerbaijan…Moreover, he gives a year for these families to move from Iran to Moscow freely and to carry their movable property without any tariffs and taxes imposed on them and sell them. As for the immovable property the families are given five years to sell it or to present it to someone voluntarily".

The resettlement committees were established in Yerevan and Nakhichevan for organizing the resettlement of Armenians. The displaced persons were granted important privileges: they were released from taxes and tariffs for the term of six years. They were delivered benefits from the indemnity received from Iran.

The resettlement was initiated after the implementation of definite preparatory measures. The number of Armenians resettled from Iran totaled 40-50 thousand people. During the Russian-Turkish war of 1828-1829 and after it 90 thousand Armenians were brought from Turkey. Armenians were resettled from Iran, Turkey and other Eastern countries from Russia in the later period.

Transcaucasia was the major direction of the resettlement.

N.I.Shavrov wrote in 1911: "To date 1 million out of 1 million and 300 thousand people of the total population of Transcaucasia are not aboriginal inhabitants they have been resettled there from our country"

Armenians paid a great attention to the places they were going to settle in Transcaucasia.

A.S.Griboyedov wrote: It's necessary to resettle Armenians from the regions occupied by Russian Army that are Tebriz, Khoy, Salmas, Maragha to Nakhichevan, Yerevan and Karabakh.

Griboyedov fulfilled his duty with a great dignity.

Shavrov wrote: "Armenians settled on the best lands of Yelizavetpol (Ganja-K.Sh) and Yerevan provinces not largely inhabited by the…The mountain part of Yelizavetpol province (Daghlig Garabagh) and the shores of the Goycha lake were inhabited by Armenians".

Thus, the resettlement of Armenians caused changes in the ethnic composition of the regions mentioned above.

According to the data of 1823 Armenian families accounted for 1.5 thousand out of 20 thousand families of the Karabakh province (the territory of the former Karabakh khanate)

The ethnic composition of the population changed dramatically after the resettlement.

Azerbaijanis made up 64.8% and Armenians -34.8% of the total population of Karabakh in 1832.

This policy was implemented purposefully at that time.

In the 1880s Azerbaijanis accounted for 41.5% and Armenians for 58.2% of the total population of the Shusha district. These indicators equaled 45 and 53% in 1897 and 40.2 and 52.3% in 1917 in Russia. The genocide of Azerbaijanis committed by Armenians covered Karabakh in 1918-1920s.

The historical injustice took place in the establishment of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh in 1923 when the mountain and the plain parts were artificially separated from each other, and the consolidation of Armenian population was created favorable conditions and a grave blow was struck on the democratic position of Azerbaijanis.

According to the census enumeration of 1926, 1959, 1970, 1979 Azerbaijanis and Armenians made up 10.1 and 89.1 %: 13.8 and 84.4%, 18.1 and 80.5%, 23 and 75.9% of the population of Daghlig Garabagh according. 

Armenians of Daghlig Garabagh marked the 150th anniversary of their resettlement in 1978, and a special monument was erected in the Maraghashen-Leninavan region Mardakert-Aghdara. As state above, the resettlement of Armenians was implemented for the sake of both Russia and Armenia's political interests.

Thousand of Armenians became the victims of this provocateur policy of the two countries. The bitter consequences of these political games did not serve right to Armenian, skillful in matters connected with economic interests, they fulfilled with cruelty the tasks of betrayers prescribed them by Armenian and Russian leaders and every time they were struck by the national defeat and tragedy subsequent from these actions. Despite definite difficulties Turkey and Azerbaijan who had always been the objects of these trickeries overcame these problems successfully.

A.A.Bakikhanov's Institute of History under the ANAS

Karabakh in Czar Russian period

Further to the Kurekchay agreement of 1805, the Karabakh Khanate was annexed to Russia. The preservation of khan's government for additional 17 years had a definite strategic meaning.

The murder of Ibragim khan in 1806 showed that Russia neglected all the rules and laws. Under those circumstances, the power of Mehdigulu (1806-1822), who inherited the power from his father Ibragim khan, was not strong. The tsarist government strengthened its occupation regime and desired to weaken the economic position of the local authorities in order to establish its own power in the region. They also attempted to win the predominance of the Armenified Albanians whom they regarded as a support. After the abolition of the Khanate like other regions of North Azerbaijan the commandant way of ruling was also established in this area and it was annexed to the Military-Muslim district (with the center in Shusha).

At that time lieutenant-general V.Q.Medetov (1782-1829) of Armenian origin, who contributed to the invasive operations of the Russian troops, established a real Armenian-Russian colony in Karabakh. The tsarist government was influenced by the 1830s revolts and conducted an administrative-political reform in South Karabakh on April 10th 1840. The reform turned Karabakh into the Shusha region and put Karabakh under the supervision of the Caspian province (with the center in Shamakhy). Thus, the concept of Karabakh lost its political meaning and was preserved as a geographical one.

During the administrative division of 1846, the Shusha region was subdued to the newly established Shamakhy province (from 1859 to Baku). With the creation of the Yelizavetpol province, the Shusha region was put under its supervision and three more districts-Zangezur, Djavanshir and Djabrayil - were created there. Thus, the Shusha district also lost its unique administrative-political meaning. These reforms created every opportunity for Armenians to take part in the governing.

The tsarist Russia, which occupied those areas tried to armenify the local inhabitants in order to strengthen its positions. After the signing of the Turkmenchay agreement in 1828 (File 3) this process became more systematic and purposeful. Article 15th of the Turkmenchay agreement ratified the resettlement of Armenians from Iran to North Azerbaijan. According to this article, the Shah gave one year to the families living in Iran to freely move from Iran to Russia without obstacles from the side of the government and local authorities, to carry and sell their property, goods for sale and things. AS for immovable property, the families are given the term of five years to sell it to make arrangements about that on their own will. Yet the grant does not concern the people committing crime when a year has not passed over the case. As mentioned above, this article was included into the contract for ensuring the mass resettlement of Armenians from Iran to North Azerbaijan including Karabakh.

By the Edirne contract of 1829 Armenians started to move from the Osmanly Empire to the newly occupied lands of North Azerbaijan. Armenians mainly moved to Karabakh.

Ethnic composition of Karabakh khanate during its abolishment reflected on "Description", drawn up by instruction of A.P.Yermolov (1816-1827), the Commander-in-Chief of Russian troops in Caucasus. In spite of Armenianize policy, carried out before drawing of this document (1805-1822), most of Karabakh population was Azerbaijanis, statistics reports (since 1593).

According to "Description", 15.729 of 20.095 families in Karabakh were Azerbaijanis (1.111 in the town, 14.618 in the country), 4366 - Armenians, including Albanians (421 in the town, 3.945 in the country). Most of these Armenians was Grogoriyanized and Armanianized Albans. New Armenian villages (Maragali, Janyatag etc.) began to appear in Karabakh in result of Armenian's mass removal to this province. (Some time later Armenians erected monuments of the glory of removal in Karabakh, but destroyed them during territorial claims against Azerbaijan in 1980s.). According to official returns, 40 thousand Armenians were removed from Iran to Northern Azerbaijan, including Karabakh, while 90 thousand - from Ottoman empire in 1828-1830s. Their number with unofficial Armenians settlers exceeded 200 thousand. Number of Armenians began to increase in ethnic composition of Karabakh after removal.

Completion of Gregorianization and Armenianization of Azerbaijan-Albanian population of Karabakh

Gregorianization and Armanianization of Albanian population of Karabakh was long historical process, as was described above:

1. Native population of Karabakh was Albanian tribes as in other lands of Northern Azerbaijan;
2. Christianity was spread in some places of Albania, including Karabakh in IV century;
3. Islam spread throughout the country during occupation of Northern Azerbaijan by Arabic caliphate and its ruling in VII-IX centuries, but Albanians, living in the mountainous part of Karabakh, did not change their religion;
4. Armenian-Gregorian missionaries, migrated to the Caucasus, seizing favorable situation, appeared in result of Arabic caliphate's occupation, realized Gregorianization and then Armenianization of Christian-Albanian population of Karabakh.
5. Christian population of Karabakh called themselves Albanians in the letter, addressed to Russian tcar Peter I. It proves that they still considered themselves Albanians in early XVIII century;
6. Russia's intervention into the region and Armenians' removal from other countries to the Southern Caucasus, including Azerbaijan, lead to strengthening of Armenian factor. This policy created turning-point in historical fate of Gregorianized Albanians. The last stage of their Armanianization started.
7. Armenians' mass removal from Iran and Ottoman empire to Karabakh along with other Azerbaijan regions during Russia-Iran wars (1804-1813, 1826-1828), Russia-Turkey wars (1806-1812, 1828-1829) and particularly after Turkmenchay (1828) and Adirna (1829) agreements completed Armenianization of Gegorianized Albanian population. Albanian Catholicos was abolished in 1836. We can call them Armenians just after this;
8. In spite of that, Daghlig Garabagh Armenians have preserved their specificity, outgoing from Albanian root, among general Armenian population.

Expanding of Armenians' aggressive activity in Azerbaijan, including Karabakh

Armenians' mass removal to Northern Azerbaijan lands, including Karabakh, continued after 1930s. That is why N.Shavrov wrote in 1911, that more than 1 million of 1,3 million of Armenians in Transcaucasia was incomers. Inspite of these, 52% of the population in Karabakh (within borders of khanate) was Azerbaijanis, while 46% - Armenians (including Armenians of local Albanian origin.). Resettlement of Armenians in the mountainous part of Karabakh became more intensive. This policy was aimed to providing of Armenian incomers' compact living and had strategic purpose.

Armenians' strengthening in management control, increasing of their number by resettlement and reinforcement of their economical potential were carried out at the same time. Thus, Armenians could reinforced in the economical life of Karabakh in result of favorable condition, created by tsarism, and its multilateral support.

Economical potential, got by Armenians in result of discriminatory policy of Russian empire, its support and purposeful policy in Northern Azerbaijan, became apparent at abolishment of obligation (илтизам) system over oil land in Baku in 1872. Thus, Azerbaijanis bought only 5% of oil land, while Armenians more than 50% during haggling of oil sections. 55 large and middle companies of 167 oil companies, operating in Baku in 1872, belonged to Armenians. There were created favorable conditions for Armanians' culture-educational upgrade as well. However, Karabakh and its central city Shusha remained public-political and culture center of Azerbaijan people. Despite all hinders and resistance of Tsar government and its puppets (Armenians) Karabakh developed as Azerbaijan-Moslem province.

Thus, Tsar Russia created favorable conditions for Armenians' resettlement to Northern Azerbaijan, including Karabakh, their administrative-political, social-economical and cultural development here. Some time later Armenians began to struggle for realization of idea "Great Azerbaijan" in Azerbaijan territories. One of the integral parts of this idea is to annihilate local Azerbaijan population in Karabakh, Yerevan, Nakhichevan and other Azerbaijan territories and to capture their lands. As Armenians treacherous rebellions, stirred up against Ottoman state since 1890s, failed, the center of struggle was moved to Northern Azerbaijan.

Armenians committed mass genocide against Azerbaijan people again since 1905. Armenians' genocide policy acquire more tragic nature in Karabakh. But carnage of 1905-1906s did not appeased them. They attempted to establish mythic "Great Armenia" again, seizing the historical situation, caused by the First World War. Armenians, whose rebellions against Ottoman state in 1915 failed, began to focus main forces in the Southern Caucasus and carried genocide out against Azerbaijanis with Tsarism's support. Armenian armed groups, served in Russian army for long period - during anarchy in the Trascaucasia, created in result of coup d'etat (February, 1917) and Bolsheviks' accession to power (October, 1917), began new and more terrible genocide against Azerbaijanis, joining Dashnak-Bolsheviks. These new mass carnage, begun in Baku in July 1918 and enveloped whole country was very hard blow to Azerbaijan government. New stage began in history of Azerbaijan with establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. Young government took measures to prevent plans of Armenian gang groups and Dashnak-Bolshevik regime concerning annihilation of Azerbaijan people.

Institute of History named after A.Bakykhanov of ANAS

Karabakh in Azerbaijan Democratic Republic

Releasing from the thraldom of the Russian Empire, which lasted for approximately 120 years, the Azerbaijani people established a new independent state in the Northern Azerbaijan. The Declaration of Independence of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic stated that the lands of Northern Azerbaijan, once occupied by Russia in accordance with the Gulistan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828) agreements are the legal heritage of Azerbaijani people. The first article of the declaration read: "Beginning from this day the people of Azerbaijan will have their sovereign rights. Azerbaijan, that consists of Eastern and Southern Transcaucasia, is a legal independent state".

The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic issued its politically and legally substantiated map. It tried to spread its power on the entire historical area of Karabakh. At that time the newly established Republic of Armenia laid its groundless claims to Karabakh, but the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic opposed these claims. During the talks with the Foreign Minister of the Ottoman state in Istanbul, November 18th 1918, A.M.Topchubashov (1862-1934), the chair of the Parliament of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic said: "The Karabakh issue raised by Armenians does not concern only 5 or 10 villages, it covers all four districts: Shusha, Djavanshir, Djebrail and Zangezur. This territory belongs to only one nation and even though the number of Moslems and Armenians is not equal, there is no reason to talk in terms of domination of Armenians, because they are not native residents of these areas. These are those moving to the region from Turkey after the war with Russia…Finally, Armenians do not live separately in Karabakh itself, they form mixed settlements with Azerbaijanis. Nevertheless, we stand for the peaceful settlement of the problem".

Armenians continued previously committed acts of genocide for the occupation of Karabakh in the period of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic as well. Taking into account the established situation, the government of Azerbaijan created a Karabakh governorship-general dealing with the accidents in Shusha, Djavanshir, Djebrail and Zangezur in January, 1919 and appointed Kh.Sultanov the governor-general of Karabakh. The Foreign Minister of Armenia expressed his discontent with the establishment of the governorship-general, yet the response of Azerbaijani government considered the protest to be baseless and stated that these areas are the integral part of the Azerbaijan Republic. Karabakh governorship-general had to carry out its activity in conditions of the struggle against Armenia's claims and the tense relations first with Englishmen and then with Americans. However, Armenians did not give a chance to establish peace in the region of Karabakh governorship-general.

In late 1919-the spring of 1920 the armed brigands of Armenian dashnaks attacked the civil inhabitants of Zangezur and committed mass bloodshed.

Armenians were also active in Djavanshir district. Their attacks to the foothill villages of Djavanshir became habitual. In spring-summer of 1918 Armenian brigands committed numerous acts of violence against the Muslim residents of the flat regions of Djavanshir. "Armenians, changed the direction of the Tartar river thus cutting off the water supply to the Aran village inhabitants and causing a great damage to them. The situation deteriorated to the level when villagers did not have enough fresh water to drink".

Another district of Karabakh-Djebrail was also subject to Armenians' armed attacks. They intensified their attacks on Djabrail in December of 1918, while in early 1919 the aggression acquired more destructive nature.

The barbarism of Armenians acquired a more violent form in Shusha, the political center of Shusha province and Karabakh. Once the plenipotentiary of the Trancaucasian Country Committee S.Shaduns wrote on December 20, 1922: "In period preceding the establishment of Musavat's power (i.e. the power of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic) in Karabakh Turkish authorities (i.e. the authorities of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic), appointed the governor-general of Karabakh and the new term-Nogorno-Karabakh, established by dashnacks, emerged at that very moment.

Dissatisfied with endless battles, caused in Turkish Armenia, the party Dashnaktsutyun, following the abandoning of Shusha to the Turks, climbed to the mountains, inhabited mostly by Armenians and instructs to fight to the last but not surrender to Turks. At that time the government of Upper Karabakh was established along with social-democrats, naming themselves the internationalists.

Though Dashnaktsutun avoided the war with Turks, yet by demand of the farmers of the same Upper Karabakh, this region along with lower part and entire Karabakh transferred under the control of the musavat government…".

In period of the Azerbaijan Democratic republic the meanest armed revolt of Armenians tool place during the traditional festivity of Azeri people Novruz in Shusha on March 22, 1920. This separatist revolt was proposed by Bolsheviks, preparing to occupy Azerbaijan. Despite the suppression of separatist revolts in a number of regions they managed to invade the tower of Askeran. As a result of military-political measures Azerbaijan Democratic Republic restored the sovereign rights of Karabakh. However, the separatist revolts and genocides committed by Armenians, betraying the country they resided in, on the eve of April, 1920's occupation, stroke a hard blow to the defense of northern borders of the country and intensified the overthrow of the independent Azeri state-the Azerbaijan Independent Republic.

Institute of History named after A.Bakykhanov of ANAS

Karabakh in Soviet period

Division of Karabakh by Soviet government

With the strengthening of Soviet government the process of restoration of the tsarist Russian border began. The 11th Red Army concentrated its forces on northern borders of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and received several orders and decrees for the occupation of Azerbaijan. The powers which supported the Soviet state within the Azerbaijan Parliament and the March revolt of Armenian Dashnak separatists in Karabakh accelerated the overthrow of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic existed for 23 months and was overthrown by the 11th Red Army and the Soviet government was established in the Northern Azerbaijan. Thus, the situation around Karabakh entered a new stage.

The Status of the Autonomous Republic attached to Daghlig Garabagh in 1920-1923

Daghlig Garabagh: geography and the concept of Daghlig Garabagh. For lightning this problem let's first stay on the geography of Daghlig Garabagh and the concept "Daghlig Garabagh.

The territory of Karabakh is divided into plains and mountainous areas for its landscape. This is a scientifically approved fact. Thus, A.M.Skibitski, the son of the famous Caucasus scientist M.A.Skibitski in his artcle entitled "The Caucasus revolt" said: "The mountainous region of Karabakh Khanate was once called Daghlig Garabagh. It comprised of an area between the Karabakh mountains on the east and the Zangezur mountains on the west, as well as the Karabakh plateau, separating Daghlig Garabagh from plain Lower Karabakh". As seen, due to the fact that the lands of the Karabakh khanate as part of Tsarist Russia were subject to to different administrative divisions, the concept of Karabakh had lost its original administrative-political meaning. However, in periods of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (1918-1920) the concept of Karabakh acquired its initial definition. As seen from the foregoing viewpoint of S.Shaduns, the term of Daghlig Garabagh was established by Dashnaks at that very time.

Since that time the concept of "Daghlig Garabagh" acquired not only geographical but also political importance. With the establishment of the Bolshevik power in North Azerbaijan this concept became important from the administrative and political point of view and turned to the principal concept in the political lexicon of Azeri-Armenian relations and Russia, which backed the latter. At that time the surrounding of Daghlig Garabagh changed geographically. Again we refer to the writings of A.M.Skibitski that are as follows: "…The Karabakh plateau was attached the status of autonomy in 1923 and was called the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh or briefly "Daghlig Garabagh" within the new bounds of Azerbaijan. The Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh: history of establishment, major events and their consequences. To determine main principles of the establishment of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh, in other words to present this process more clearly, let's pay aatention to the development of major events.

From the protocol of the plenary session of the Caucasus Bureau of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party 

July 5, 1921 

The source: MLIPAAF under the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party (present ARDSRIHA), ch.64, list 2, file 1, p. 118; 122-122; К истории образования Нагорно-Карабахский автономной области Азербайджанской ССР, p. 90-91; 92

Following the establishment of the Soviet government in Azerbaijan and with th creation of the Council of National Commissars the emergency commissars were appointed in the regions. In this connection A.N.Karakozov (1890-1938) was apponted the emergency commissar for Daghlig Garabagh. The Soviet Government of Azerbaijan sent a note to Armenia on April 30, 1920 and demanded the withdrawal of Armenian troops from Zangezur and Karabakh.The soviet government was established in Karabakh in May.

At that time Soviet Russia continued its plans of spreading Soviet regime in the Caucasus, and introducing the principles of the countries' borders division, attempted to take the control over the activity of future countries. The Caucasus Bureau of the Central Committee under the Russian Communist Party touvhed upon this issue in its instructions to the military-revolutionary council of the Caucasus front of July 7.

With the establishment of the Soviet government tin Armenia (1920, November 29) the situation with inner division as well as of the state border deteriorated. The declaration of December 1 and telegram of November 30, sent by the Revolutionary Committee of Azerbaijan to the Soviet Republic of Armenia spoke on Daghlig Garabagh and its mountain part. These documents were not presented by Armenian historians. The declaration awarded the working villagers of Daghlig Garabagh to determine their own fate.

Armenian Revolutionary Committee gave up its claims for Nakhichevan on December 28. However Armenia did not want "to lose" Karabakh. The problem of Daghlig Garabagh again emerged in the determination of borders between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Caucasus Bureau instructed to point out the belonging of Daghlig Garabagh to Armenia in the Declaration of Armenian government. The Council of National Commissars edicted that on June 12. Such development of events could not satisfy Azerbaijan.

A session of the political and Organizational Bureau of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan communist (bolshevics) chaired by the Q.Kaminsky, secretary of Central committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party and held in Tbilisi on June 27 focused on the discussion of the border between Azerbaijan and Armenian in connection with the work of the commission. For the first time Daghlig Garabagh was granted the right to determine its own fate: "3. The only possible way of the problem resolution may be the attraction of Armenian and Muslim people to the work of Soviet regime construction (as mentioned in the declaration of comrade Narimanoc)". Narimanov was instructed to communicate the opinion of the Political Bureau and Organizational Bureau on the problem resolution to Teheran. On the same day Narimanov conducted direct conversation with chair of the Azerbaijan Central Executive Committee M.H.Hadjiyev and Foreign Minister M.D.Guseynov. "Narimanov: Tell them that it is the opinion of the Political and Organizational Bureau. If they support my declaration, the declaration states as follows: "Daghlig Garabagh is given the right to determine its fate independently.

Huseynov: "All right. I'll tell them everything. Anyway, I would like to say that our resolution will be greeted coldly". On the same day Guseynov informed the Caucasus Bureau about that. It was decided to convene the emergency plenum and to invite Narimanov and Myasnikyan to Tbilisi.

The way the integral part of Azerbaijan way attached the status of an autonomy: The resolutions of the Caucasus Bureau Plenum of July 4 and 5 1921. A session of the Caucasus Bureau Plenum was held in Tbilisi in such conditions. Considering a special importance, we place the exact resolutions of the protocol of the Bureau session late July 4 and July 5:

Armenians are trying to prove that Stalin played a principal role in the approval of the resolution on July 5. However, no facts prove the direction of Stalin's influence on the session of July 4 and 5 of the Caucasus Bureau of the Central Committee under Russia's Communist Party (the Bolshevics). In other words, in the struggle, preceding the establishment of USSR (December 30, 1922) Stalin's plan on autonomism, instruduced as the implementation of Lenin's idea on the federative state construction does not seem real. Therefore the metter must be considered more thoroughly:

1) Before the establishment of the USSR and the unification of Azerbaijan and Armenia within one state the Central Caucasus Bureau in fact interfered with the issue of borders and introduced itself as an authorized body. The problem of Daghlig Garabagh turned into the trilateral issue;

2) The Caucasus Bureau making use of this "right" did not allow the natural historical fulfillment of principle of determining Daghlig Garabagh's fate by its people and interpreted it as a large provincial autonomy;

3) The Caucasus Bureau wanted to influence Azerbaijan by its resolution of July 4 (Daghlig Garabagh can transfer to Armenia) and the next day Armenia by return to the issue (Daghlig Garabagh may be confirmed the part of Azerbaijan) and to ensure the favorable position for the Center and in fact it achieved its goal (Daghlig Garabagh was attached the status of autonomy). Thus, following the resolution of the plenum of the Caucasus Bureau on July 5, the situation about Daghlig Garabagh followed a new direction: The Caucasus Bureau provided the Center with a favorable resolution and started to exert pressure for its implementation. Thus, Soviet Azerbaijan faced a new condition, resulted from the forced attachment of the status of autonomy to Daghlig Garabagh. Armenia tried to deteriorate the relations with the Caucasus Bureau and Azerbaijan in the issue of Daghlig Garabagh and to interfere with Daghlig Garabagh's affairs taking the advanrage of its status of autonomy.

These issues must be fully viewed

Change in S.M.Kirov's position. After the approval of the resolution of July 5, the leadership of Azerbaijan had to initiate its fulfillment. In this connection the results of Narimanov's visit to Tbilisi were approved at the session of the Presidium of Azerbaijan Central Executive Committee held July 19 of the same year, while the session of the Political and Organizational Bureau of the Central Committee under the Azerbaijan Communist Party (the Bolshevics) held July 20 established a commission to work out the constitution of the Autonomou Province. One of the issues of this process needs to be studied thoroughly.

As is known, the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist (the Bolshevics) party had a crucial role in the attachment of the status of autonomy to Daghlig Garabagh by the resolution of July 5. Obviously, the same factor is responsible for Kirov's appointment the leader of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party in July 1921. After Kirov came to power in Azerbaijan the official attitude to the attachment of the status of autonomy to Daghlig Garabagh changed and this process delayed to two years.

Therefore, Kirov's position on this issue and the factors that influence it require more thorough consideration. Paying attention to the extract from the minutes of the session of July 4, one can see that Kirov spoke against the retaining of Daghlig Garabagh the part of Azerbaijan and voted for its annexation to Armenia (5,b). Kirov also contributed to the development of the said resolution and participated in the session of July 20 of Political and Organizational Bureau of the Central Committee and July 19 of the Presidium of the Azerbaijan Central Executive Committee. At a session of the Political and Organizational Bureau of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist (bolshevics) Party chaired by KIrov September 26, the change in Kirov's position is evident. Among those nine people present at the session (Kirov, Narimanov, Akhundov, Qarayev, Efendieyev, Stukalov, Mirzoyan, Bunyadzade, Guseynov) 7 persons spoke for reconsideration of the resolution of Daghlig Garabagh's separation and only 2 people (Narimanov and Bunyadzade) stood for its temporary fulfillment.

A commission to collect data on this issue was established. Bunyadzade, chairing a conference held with participation of the Organizational Bureau of the Central Committee under the Azerbaijan Communist (Bolsheviks) party October 21 also supported Kirov's position. Thus, at the session the separation of Daghlig Garabagh as an autonomous province was not regarded as an expedient measure.

Thus, Kirov's ruling Azerbaijan revealed the establishment of new relations in the issue of Daghlig Garabagh's autonomy. And that is not accidental. Kirov considered its old position and even the resolution of the Caucasus Bureau on forced attachment of the status of autonomy to Daghlig Garabagh and on its fulfillment in the shortest possible time instead of declaring Daghlig Garabagh the integral part of Azerbaijan to be false.

Four months after the decree of the autonomous status of Daghlig Garabagh at the session of Presidium of the Central Committee under the Azerbaijan Comunist Party held on October 8, 1923 chaire by Kirov it was announced that the propaganda of the resolution on the autonomy of Daghlig Garabagh among the population especially among the turks (Azerbaijanis).

And what was the attitude of Azerbnaijan towards the attachment of the status of autonomy to Daghlig Garabagh? Such developments caused anxiety of the Caucasus Bureau and it started to exert pressure to make Azerbaijan accept the resolution of July 5. That was implemented in two ways. From one hand Azeri leadership was put certain demands from the other hand strengthening Armenians' participation in Daghlig Garabagh's government it tried to weaken Azerbaijan's influence in the region.

The separation of Daghlig Garabagh proceeded on par with the establishment of Transcaucasia Federation and USSR. However, the problems of its fulfillment were not reconsidered by the Azerbaijan Communist Party. On the contrary, Ordjonikidze, appointed the chair of the Transcaucasia Country Committee of the Russian Communist Party at the first session of Transcaucasia communist organizations held February 1922, applied the methods of administrative predominance in the issue as in case of the acceptance of July 5's resolution.

At the session of the Transcaucasia Country Committee held on October 27, 1922 the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party was suggested to implement the resolution of July 5 and it was decided to appoint Karakozov the chair of the Executive Committee and to send him to an official trip to the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party as Shadus had been sent for a responsible work.

The resolution of the Transcaucasia Country Committee was approved for implementation and a central commission (Kirov, Mirzabekyan, Karakozov) for the issues of Daghlig Garabagh and a Committee (1922, December 15, 1923, July 24) were established under the Council of the People's Commissars of Azerbaijan SSR at the session of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party. Yet Azerbaijan was still subject to pressure. The United Council of the Trancaucasia Federation carried out a special resolution on the acceleration of Daghlig Garabagh's separation.

The demands of the Transcaucasia Country Committee became even tougher with the establishment of USSR. A report of the Karabakh Committee was included into the diary of presidium of the Transcaucasia Country Committee in May 1923 . The Presidium of the Central Committee under the Azerbaijan Communist Party carried out a decision on decretization of autonomy and introduction of its draft to the Central Committee within three days. This resolution satisfied the Transcaucasia Country Committee. In accordance with the report of Shaduns and Karakoz the Presidium of the Transcaucasia Country Committee entrusted the central committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party to provide for the attachment of the status of autonomy to Daghlig Garabagh within a period of one month on June 27. The session of the Presidium of the Central Committee under the Azerbaijan Communist Party, chaired by Kirov, familiarizing with the problem of Karabakh carried out a six paragraph resolution on July 1. The Azerbaijan Central Executive Committee was suggested to attach the status of autonomy to Daghlig Garabagh and to establish the Autonomous Province of Karabakh with the center in Khankendi. A commission to define the problems, connected with the borders was created. (chairman-Qarayev, members: Karakozov, Sviridov, Ildyrym and Bunyadzade), etc.

The Central Executive Committee of Azerbaijan Councils drew the same resolution on July 4, 1923. The decree "On establishment of the autonomous province of Daghlig Garabagh" of the Central Executive Committee of Azerbaijan Councils was signed by M.B.Gasymov (1879-1949) and A.M.Khanbudaqov (1893-1937) on July 7 . The decree consists of a preambule, four paragraphs and the conclusion on the establishment of a joint commission. As seen, the resolution of ther Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party and the decree differ by their names it was decided to separate Daghlig Garabagh instead of uniting these lands with the plain and mountain part of Karabakh.

The decree's title "The Autonomou Daghlig Garabagh Province" instead of "Daghlig Garabagh"attracts much attention. However, later it was called Daghlig Garabagh Autonomou Province (in order not to mix everything up we are obliged to follow this tradition yet we accept the official form of the concept) The decree is notable for its primitive content rather than that of official documents. The historical chronology of the preamble gets broken, the facts are misrepresented, the necessity to attach Daghlig Garabagh the status of autonomy is not substanciated enough.

The first paragraph of the decree makes way for legal-political misrepresentation ("1 to establish the autonomous province of Armenian part(?) of Daghlig Garabagh as a constituent of ASSR with the center in Khankendy village"). Instead of confirming the fact that Daghlig Garabagh is the integral part of Azerbaijan and the Daghlig Garabagh Autonomouy Province is established on Azeri lands, the decree uses differebt perverted statements. The third paragraph stipulates for creation of a Temporary Revolutionary Committee before the Soviet forum is established. Undoubtedly that granted even larger opportunities to the Armenian leadership of the Province. By the decision of the session of the Central Committee Presidium under the Azerbaijan Communist Party held July 16 (10 days after the decree) Shusha was annexed to the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh. A regulation on the governor executive committees was approved and introduced to the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh in 1923, while a regulation on the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh was published on November 26, 1924.

Thus, the integral part of Azerbaijan Karabakh was divided into plain and mountain parts artificially and the leadership of Azerbaijan was made to grant the status of autonomy to Armenians settling in mountain part of Karabakh later. At that the step was taken without considering the opinion of Azerbaijanis residing in Daghlig Garabagh, their rights were roughly violated and no referendum had ever been held.

Armenia's formula of Daghlig Garabagh

Armenia's position in the issue of Daghlig Garabagh's retaining the part of Azerbaijan and it acquiring the status of autonomy is also interesting to view. Armenian inially did not agree to such a resolution of the problem and grudging to the resolution of the Caucasus Bureau of the Central Committee under the Armenia Communist Party of July 5 on July 16, 1921 it continued its claims for Daghlig Garabagh.

Later it regarded the attachment of the status of autonomy to Daghlig Garabagh granted to it by the Caucasus Bureau to be the advisable step, and shaped its fight for Daghlig Garabagh as follows: Toward the release to Daghlig Garabagh from Azerbaijan's ruling once it acquires the status of autonomy-towards Daghlig Garabagh annexation to Armenia! This formula was based on strengthening of Armenian shauvinism in Daghlig Garabagh and its surroundings.

It came to the situation when K.Radek reported on Armenian shauvinism in Azerbaijan (April 23) at the twelfth session of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party (April 17-25, 1923). At the same time Stalin stood against that. As for the resolution of the Caucasus Bureau of July 5 the Armenian author non reconciliating with Stalin quated him largely in this document. That was the session at which Stalin's objective description was given and "A letter to a session" by Lenin was read. It's also known that the participants of the twefth session were subject to repression. Therefore, the issues connected with K.Radek's report are to be studied once more.

Armenians, backed by a strong support in the face of Stalin, soon elucidated their intentions. Shaduns sent a message to the Transcaucasia Country Committee stating that the autonomous province (Daghlig Garabagh) must have direct contacts with the committee; "Leaders of the Transcaucasia Federation should fine an alternative and wiser resolution of the problem." Thus, he confirmed all that mentioned above on the principal formula of Armenia's further activity related to Daghlig Garabagh.

The attitude towards the attachment of the status of autonomy to the integral part of Azerbaijan-the moumntain part of Karabakh-Daghlig Garabagh and the issues emerged about it was summed up at the sixth session of the Azerbaijan Communist Party chaired by Kirov. His doubt and uncertainty about the status of autonomy attached to Daghlig Garabagh is perceived in aech sentence. At the session he said: Finally (!), we have settled this issue and undoubtedly (!) the step was a correct one. There is no doubt (?!) that we'll have to return to this issue in the future. In fact, as it has been mentioned above Kirov doubted about the correctness of the problem solution and the doubts were sound enough.

 Armenian occupation of Zangezur region of Azerbaijan, Separation of Nakhichevan from other Azeri lands

As mentioned above, the government of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic adhered to the principal of traditional historical-geographical administrative division and annexing Shusha, Dkavanshir, Dhabrail and Zangezur regions to Karabakh governorship-general, regarded them as the unique administrative region. The government of the Soviet Azerbaijan also demanded Armenia to withdraw its troops from Zangezur and Karabakh in its diplomatic note of April 30, 1920. However, in Soviet times the concept of Zangezur separate from Karabakh was created for definite purposes.

That aimed to strengthen pressure on Azerbaijan in determing the fate of the said lands. The further development of events showed that under the pressure of the Soviet Russia the attitude towards Zangezur changed in period preceding the establishment of the Soviet government in Armenia from April to November 1920. The telegram of the Azerbaijan Revolutionary Committee to the Soviet Republic of Armenia of November 40 and declaration of December 1("Narimanov's Declaration") reported on the delivery of Daghlig Garabagh to Armenia.

However, in fact 3.105 sq. versts out of total 6.742 sq. versts of Zangezur retained the part of Azerbaijan, while its 3.637 sq.versts were delivered to Armenia. The historical literature does not lighten this problem sufficiently. It found its wider reflection in the above mentioned article by A.M.Skubitski. It reads: the substantial amendment to Narimanov's declaration of Zangezur the part of the Soviet Armenia is overlooked today. That is the declaration of the Azerbaijani government on the "Right of peasants of Daghlig Garabagh to determine their own fate". To date this declaration concerns only the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh. At that period that meant the autonomy suggested not only to the whole Daghlig Garabagh and Armenians, residing within the bounds of Azerbaijan but also to kurds living in Zangezur.

Sh.I,Kasyan, chair of the Armenian Revolutionary Committee considered it better to preserve the north part of the region, inhabited by kurds the part of Azerbaijan. This opinion was approved by the Caucasus Bureau of the Central Committee under the Russian Communist Party. The part granted to Armenia retained its name Zangezur, while the administrative devision of the Soviet Azerbaijan changed at that time.

The most hard blow struck to Azerbaijan and the most hostile act was the separation of Nakhichevan from other Azeri lands, and cutting off its contacts with them through delivering a part of Zangezur to Armenia. Moreover, the step was the preparation for the further implementation of Armenia's mean plans concerning Nakhichevan.

Administrative changes in other lands of Karabakh

As a result of purposefully implemented processes of 1920-1923 the lands constituting Karabakh khanate lost their traditional historical-geographical integrity. The country was divided on 15 regions by the list of settlements issued on the basis of the materials of agricultural census enumerations conducted in 1917 and 1921. Karabakh comprised Djabrail (Karyagin), Djavanshir, Qubadly (a part of the former Zangezur region) and Shusha region.As seen that stage reflected the division of Zangezur while the areas of other regions were kept within their borders. As a result of establishment of Daghlig Garabagh Autonomous Province a number of settlements of Djavanshir, Shusha and Qubadly regions were separated from their traditional administrative divisions and annexed to the province.

That caused the need to conduct a new administrative division. The issue was discussed at a session of the commission that had developed the statue of the Daghlig Garabagh Autonomous Province. The resolution on the third issue of Plain Karabakh administrative division and form of government was as follows: to establish the Executive Committee of Lower Karabakh comprising the flat part of Djavanshir region, Shusha, Qubadly and Karyagin (Djabrayil), to apply the regulation of 1923 on province executive committee and to empower the Special commission under the Azerbaijan Central Executive Committee to conduct the division of the Plain Karabakh province.

The fourth issue of Zangezur's administrative division and form of government was also discussed at the session. As seen, in period of establishment of the Daghlig Garabagh Autonomous Province it was planned to unite the Plain Karabakh within a unique administrative unit. However, with time passed the plan was changed. In accoardance with the order of the Azerbaijan Central Executive Province of August 6, 1923 signed by Gasymov, chair of the Azerbaijan Central Executive Committee, M.Quliyev, deputy chair of the Council of People's Commissars and Interior Minister I.Sviridov, Aghdam, Djabrail and Kurdistan regions were established on the remaining part of Karabakh following the establishment of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh.

That very document determined the composition, centers, executive committee chairs and other issues of Aghdam, Djabrail and Kurdistan, while Qubadly region was abolished.

Considering various administrative divisions conducted in the Soviet Azerbaijan, the Central Statistical Agency of Azerbaijan made calculations on the area of the country, the national composition and other issues on the basis of the materials of 1921's agricultural census enumeration. They defined that of the historical area of Karabakh (the borders of the khanate) the autonomous province of Daghlig Garabagh with an area 4.160.5 km2, Djabrail region-4.268.5 km2, Aghdam region-4.135.5 km2, Kurdistan-3.432.4 km2 (total 15.996.9 km2) retained the part of Azerbaijan, while part of the historical lands of Azerbaijan were torn from it and granted to Armenia.

Further administrative divisions resulted in the establishment of Zengilan (0.7 thousand km2), Qubadly (0.8 thousand km2), Lachyn (1.8 thousand km2) regions on a part of Zangezur preserved within Azerbaijan SSR with definite alterations (first Qubadly, later Kurdistan region).At the same time Aghdam and Djebrail regions were divided into Aghdam (1.1 thousand km2), Barda (1 thousand km2) Aghdjabedi (1.8 thousand km2), Terter (0.4 thousand km2) and Djebrail (1 thousand km2) districts. Thus Karabakh khanate, that played a occupied a worthy place in the history of the Azerbaijani state organization was divided in two parts with one part granted to Armenia while the other part turned to the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh within Azerbaijan. 

Daghlig Garabagh in 1923-1980

Speaking on the issue of autonomy attached to Daghlig Garabagh we did not pay much attention to the most important events in the history of its administrative division. Analysis show that the administrative division of Daghlig Garabagh was not condicted on the basis of scientific-geographical principles but on the specially targeted volunteer approach that means that the regions of Armenians predominance were taken as centers while other areas concentrated around them (It should be mentioned by the way that Armenians can demand their autonomy on the areas of their compact settmlement in other countries as well!).

It came to the situation when Aghbadan village of Kelbagjar, Upper Veyselli village of Fuzuli were preserved within the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh and the administrative subordinance changed. The resolution of the commission, working our the statue of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh provided for the annexation of over 170 districts to the autonomy. The Central Statistical Agency of Azerbaijan noted that in 1924 the number of the such distructs exceeded 200, while the book of Armenian Q.Kocharyan points out the figure 215. These facts prove that the territory of Daghlig Garabagh expanded and Armenians dominated the number of the population and ethnic composition in the new settlements. Following the establishment of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh is's territory was divided in accordance with the principle district-volost-village as follows: 1 Dizag district that comprised 5 volosts (Hadrut, Tugh, Khozaturd, Arakul, Edilli) and 48 villages; 2 Verende district, including 5 volosts (Taghavert, Sus, Chartaz, Norashen) and 46 villages; 3 Shusha district, covering Shusha city and Malybeyli volost (12 villages); 4 Khachyn district, that comprised 4 volosts (Dashbulaq, Askeran, Krasnoselsk, Qala) and 53 villages; 5 Djerabend district. The region covered 4 volosts (Margushevan, Oratag, Dovshanly, Aterk) and 53 villages. In the conduction of the new administrative division anumber of alterations were made in the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh. In August of 1930 its territory again was divided in five districts: 1. Djeraberd, 2. Martuni, 3. Stepanakert, 4. Dizag, 5. Shusha. Obviously, Varanda is called Martuni, the area of Khatuni belonged to Stepanakert. On August 17 of 1939 Dherabert was renamed Mardakert, Dizag acquired the name Hadrut.

In other words such geographical names as Dizaq, Verende, Khachyn, Cheraberd of the period of the Caucasus Albania fell into oblivion and were replaced by the names, concering Armenians, that moved on that land for a special purpose during Russia's occupation. The policy of widening the towns struck hard blow on Shusha in early 1960th.

Shusha district was abolished on January 4, 1963 and its territory transferred to Stepanakert. Yet new alterations took place in the administrative division following the resignation of N.S.Khrushchov Shusha distrct was restored on January 6, 1965. According to the resolution of Heydar Aliyev Askeran district was established in place of Stepanakert in 1978. Such administrative division of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh existed till the collapse of USSR.

Thus, the facts mentioned above reveal clearly Armenian's policy to establish their government in the lands of another nation. Armenians once conducted the same process in West Azerbaijan-in Irevan khanate and continued their plans in Karabakh.

One of the issues of the Daghlig Garabagh Autonomous Province most falsified by Armenians was the dynamics of the number of its population and national composition. In this connection, let's review the following table, instroduced by prof. Y.Barseqov.

The comparison of the real number of population of Daghlig Garabagh (by a census enumeration) and Prof.Y.Bargasov's calculations as a result of migration (the growth from previous years in percents, calculated by us).

Taken from Barsegov. Y. G. Право на самоопределение-основа демократического решения межнационалных проблем. К проблеме Нагорного Карабаха. Еeреван,1989,p.101 Relative growth from previous years.

To confuse a reader Y.Barsegov uses absolute dimensions, while the explanation needs relative indicators to be more understandable. The application of such calculations to the table reveals a degree of its absurdity. It is not possible that the factual growth of Armenians of 3.6% corresponds to the calculations of 38.5% , while in case of Azerbaijanis this relation is 46.1% to 23.1%. Such an approach aims to pervert the facts and is nothing but a mockery at a reader! Let's review the following estimate in order to direct the problem into the scientific course.

Number of Armenians in Armenia and their average density in the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh calculated by Y.Barsegov method and their comparison (per sq. km)

Taken from : Всесоюзная перепись населения 1926 г. Закавказскaя СФСР.т.ХЫВ. М., 1929, с.11-13; Вестник статистики, 1990, V 7, p.77; "Правда" от 2 июня 1939 ; Итоги Всесоюзной переписи населения 1959 г. Армянская ССР. М., 1963, с.11, 102-103; Численность и состав населения СССР. По данным Всесоюзной переписи населения 1979 г. М., 1984; Ходжабекян В.Е. Армянская Советская Социалистическая республика. Население союзных республик. М., 1977, с.278 

Y.Barsegov's unscientific calculations come to the astronomic indicator of Armenian's average density on the area of 4.4 thousand km2 that is the area of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh! Thus, Armenian authors (i.e. Armenian nationalists) perverted the history up to the degree when to define the truth turns to a task difficult one. In fact, the growth dynamics of the population of Daghlig Garabagh was as follows. 
The growth dynamics of the Daghlig Garabagh's population in 1926-1988  

Table 6.4

Taken from : Samedzade. Z. Нагорный Карабах: неизвестная правда (О некоторых аспектах социально-экономического и демографического развития региона). Baku, 1995, с. 31

The above mentioned table, based on the official soviet census enumeration (except for the year of 1989), reflects the reality more truthfully and false (i.e. exaggerated) indicators of Armenian authors, purposing at a special aim, can not rebut them. Now, let's pass to the national composition of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh.

National composition of Daghlig Garabagh Autonomous Province (by a census enumeration: thousand people) 

Table 6.5 

Taken from Достижения Нагорного Карабаха в девятой пятилетке. Стат. сб. Степанакерт, 1976, с.8, Самед-заде З. Указ.соч., p.31

Though a sensus enumeration, conducted before the collapse of USSR in 1989 was much influenced by the events of that period , Foreign Ministry of the Azerbaijan Republic worked out the ethnic map of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh on the basis of that very census. As can be seen from this map, according to the 1989's soviet census enumeration, Armenians were responsible for 145.4 thousand (77%) and Azerbaijanis-for 40.3 thousand people (21.5%) of the total 187.8 thousand people of Daghlig Garabagh. 

The census enumeration of 1939-1979 clearly reveals the increase in the number of Azerbaijanis on the territory of Daghlig Garabagh. That was due to Azerbaijanis' devotedness to their native lands despite the persectution by Armenian separatists and the predominance of natality among them.

As for Armenians, the decline in natality among them adds to their love for migrations. The support of the center to Armenian separatists in an attempt to reduce artificially the number of Azerbaijanis in the province before the census enumeration of 1989 caused the decline in the relative number of Azerbaijnais from 23% down to 21.5%. 

The retaining of Daghlig Garabagh the part of Azerbaijan as its historical lands, continuing the traditions of close relations with other regions of Azerbaijan and a special attention of Azerbaijan to the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh created favorable conditions for the sociopolitical and economic development of the region in the Soviet times.

Yet late 1980th Armenian ideologists, willing to tear Daghlig Garabagh from Azerbaijan and their supporters tried to oppose these facts openly. Yet the truth ia always factual. The development level of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh within Azerbaijan is clearly reflected in a statistical magazine published by the Statistical Department of the Province in Stepanakert. Later Stepanakert tried to ignore these publications. 

However, these facts should be paid much attention rather than bypass them. One of the statistical magazines described the cultural, economic state in the autonomous province within 40 years (1923-1963): In the pre-revolutionary period (that is a period preceeding the October coup d'etat of 1917) there were no secondary schools, public libraries and theaters in Daghlig Garabagh. Shusha accounted only for three special cultural and educational institutions and a cinema. To date Daghlig Garabagh has five special secondary schools educating 1 000 pupils. 164 libraries with over 930 books operate in Daghlig Garabagh.

The villages are responsible for 150 libraries containing 630 thousand books. Such cultural institutions as the Armenian State Drama Theater after M.Qorki and the State Ensemble of Sonds and Dances were located in Shusha. The province had 176 clubs and a number of scientific institutions…From the first day of the establishment of the province the Sovetakan Karabakh was published in the native language (Armenian language) As for the agriculture it was confirmed that once the land of wooden plough Daghlig Garabagh was turned into the the land of tractors and combines. 

It was pointed out that the agriculture of Daghlig Garabagh accounted for 1.4 thousand tractors, 224 combines, 670 lorries and thousands of other modern agricultural devices.Through the term of 40 years much has been done for the industrial potential of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh. In 1962 the gross domestic product of the entire industry rose by 341, electric energy-by 945 from that of 1940. The socioeconomic life of the province developed rapidly in mid 1960th as well. 

The comparison of the indicators of social and economic development of the entire Azerbaijan, Nakhichevan ASSR and the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh in 1965-1987 shows the high tempo the the development of the province. It's evident that in 1987 Azerbaijan accounted for 686 per each 10 thousand people working in working in industry, Nakhichevan for 387, Daghlig Garabagh for 657. The per capita gross agricultural products totaled 588.501 and 692

The indicators of the social development on the province were even higher than that of Azerbaijan SSR, Armenia SSR and the whole USSR. Each 10 thousand people were provided with 86.2 bedstead in clinics in Armenia, 97.7 in Azerbaijan, and 101.7 in Daghlig Garabagh Moreover, as a result of the efforts of the Center's supporters of Armenian separatists, the preamble of the resolution on the socioeconomic development of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh, approved by the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party and the Ministries' Council of USSR on March 24, 1988 also pointed out the progress in the social and economic development of the province. 

In time when Armenian separatists widely spread the false materials, Azerbaijan always introduced true facts to the community for discussion and tried to examine the trustworthiness of each situation.

Therefore, the National Economy Management Institute under the Ministers' Council of Azerbaijan SSR arranged a round table on the economics of the Daghlig Garabagh Autonomous Province: its problems and prospects and publishing its materials introduced them to the community in the severe days of March 1988. Thus, there's no necessity to place this facts here.

Yet we would like to pay attention to the speech of the academician of the USSR Academy of Science born Armenian T.S.Khachaturov, the chair of the scientific council of the problem "Principal funds, capital investments and economic rationality of new techniques at the conclusion of the round table. Confirming the real situation he said: "I was glad to exchange views with my colleques on the issues of further development of Daghlig Garabagh's potential.

I should confess that I was not informed enough on this issue and our conversation made it possible to fill in the gap". As can be seen, economist (!) academician T.S.Khachaturov confesses that he not informed much on the problem. In this case what should the other people do? In fact, Armenians needed the lack of information rather than its availability in their struggle for separation of Daghlig Garabagh from Azerbaijan. 

After the attachment of the status of autonomy to the integral part of Azerbaijan Daghlig Garabagh, the Armenians of Daghlig Garabagh, Armenia and even those living out of these bounds did not stop their separatist activity. In period when Armenian politicians were silent, writers, poets and other people turned to the carriers of separatism-as a strategic purpose, i.e. politicians pulled them forward. (That is the historical tradition of Armenian separatists!).

The famous Armenian writer M.Shaginyan published the book "Daghlig Garabagh" (1927) soon after the establishment of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh. The book perverted the historical facts openly; and introduced false materials to the reader: "Daghlig Garabagh Armenian lands…" (p.3); "Daghlig Garabagh-feudal land, noble piece of Armenia" (p.5), etc. 

Armenians that could not achieve their goals in the 1920-1930th intensified their activity after the war of 1941-1945. Qr. Arutinov, secretary of the Central Committee under the Armenian Communist Party appealed to I.Stalin and raised the issue of annexation of Daghlig Garabagh Autonomous Province the part of Azerbaijan to Armenia under the same status. 

G.M.Malinkov, secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party, sent the text of the message to M.J.Baghyrov, the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party on November 28, 1945. Malenkov suggested him to express his opinion on the issue raised by the Central Committee of the Armenia Communist Party. In this connection Baghyrov communicated his answer to Moscow on December 10, 1945. His answer was as follows: "Top secret. To comrade Malenkov". 

I inform in response to your telegram regarding the suggestion of the secretary of Armenia Communist Party on the annexation of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh to Armenia SSR: 

Since ancient time the area of Daghlig Garabagh Autonomoue Province was part of the Karabakh khanate with the center in Panahabad city build in a form of a tower by Karabakhian Panah khan in 1747. 

Karabakh was annexed to the tsarist Russia in 1826. Then the territory of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh had been part of Shusha, Djavanshir, Qaryaqin and Qubadly districts of Yelizavetpol region.

As a result of an ethnic carnage arranged by Musavatists and dashnaks Shusha like may other cities of Azerbaijan and Armenia was destructed and turned into ruins. 

Within the first days of establishment of the Soviet government in Azerbaijan in 1920 the economic and political life of Karabakh was ruled by the common Provincial Revolutionary Committee. 

The issue of annexing the mountain part of Karabakh mainly inhabited by Armenians to Armenia SSR was raised in 1923. Yet due the absence of common borders between Armenia and Daghlig Garabagh and their separation by Qubadly, Lachyn, Kelbedjar and Dastefur districts inhabited by Azerbaijanis, the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh with the center in Khankendi, present Stepanakert, was established by a decree of July 7, 1923 of the Central Executive Committee by the insructon of the party bodies. 

Thus, the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh has never been the part of Armenia SSR and so does it to date. 

Much was done by Azerbaijan in the sphere of Daghlig Garabagh's economic-political and cultural development in Soviet times. One of the brilliant patterns of this development was the transformation of once the neglected and ruined village of Azerbaijan, the present center of Daghlig Garabagh-Stepanakert- into the most beautiful and highly cultural city. 

Armenians from Daghlig Garabagh made up 20,5% of students of all high scools and technical colleges of Azerbaijan SSR.

Not a small number of comrades from Daghlig Garabagh can come across among the economicm party and soviet leaders of the republic, the secretaries, deputies, people's commissars, their deputies of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party. 

At the same time we are not against the annexation of the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh to Armenia, yet despite the autonomy of Daghlig Garabagh and considering the predominance of Azerbaijanis in Shusha we do not agree to the delivery of the province to Armenia SSR. 

Since the establishment of Shusha it has not only been the administrative and political and cultural center but also made a great contribution to Azerbaijanis' struggle against Iranian occupants. 

Agha Mohamed shah Qadjar, the blood-sucker conqueror and executioner of Transcaucasia peoples was killed in Shusha. 

The rich music culture of the Azerbaijani people was formed in this city. The names of Ibragim khan, Vagif, Natavan and other prominent politicians and cultural workers are connected with Shusha. 

At the same time we consider it necessary to inform the Central Committee of the All-union Communist Party that it's also important to consider the annexation of Armenian regions Azizbekov, Vedi and Karabakhlar, adjacent to Azerbaijan and inhabited mainly by Azerbaijanis to our country, while considering the issue of annexation of Daghlig Garabagh to Armenia. Considering the high degree of cultural and economic backwardness of these regions their annexation to Azerbaijan will create conditions for the improvement of the socioeconomic state of the inhabitants. 

Beside all mentioned above we ask the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party to consider the following issues: 

Our Georgian brothers raise the problem of annexing Balakan, Zagatala and Qakh regions of Azerbaijan to Georgia SSR.

Though Georgian-Ingiloys account only for 9000 out of 79 000 people of these regions yet we do not mind the consideration of the issue however at the same time the party should also consider the annexation of Borchaly district of Georgia SSR mainly inhabited by Azerbaijanis to our country.

Finally, we ask you to consider the return of Daghestan's Derbent and Qasymkend regions, once the part of Azervaijan and adjacent to it, to Azerbaijan again. These areas are dominated by Azerbaijanis and the population mainly engaged in cattle-breeding passes most part of the year on the territory of Azerbaijan.

We consider it advisable to create a commission of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party involving representatives from all countries, concerned with the issue for working out proposals on all matters we have raised.

Secretary of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party M.C.Baghyrov

December 10, 1945, Baku

The answer attracted the attention of a number of researches and a number of views were exppessed about it.122Yet the matter needs to be overviewed. What is the most striking in this answer? First of all: 1) it did not took long to answer such a complicated issue as Malenkov's proposal in period of party beureucracy.

It proves that the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party was not unprepared for such a proposal. 2) the political, scientific and historical and textual analyss of the text is also important. Let's pay immediate attention to the critical moment of all that. It comes out that the leadership of Azerbaijan, opposing all claims never evaded the issue and was always ready for their wide discussion and introduction of concrete proposals.

Such substanciated position deviated Moscow from pressing on Azerbaijan. Nevertheless, Armenian leadership did not give up its plans and even attained the mass deportation of Azerbaijanis from their native lands-Armenia SSR in 1948-1953.

However, Armenians still did not suspend their separatist activity connected with Daghlig Garabagh. This problem was once more raised in conditions of antiturk campaign in USSR in the 1960th. A petition, regarding Daghlig Garabagh's annexation to Armenia, signed by 45 thousand people was introduced in Moscow and the secretariat of the Central Committee of the Soviet Union Communist Party instructed Armenia and Azerbaijan to work out the objectives in this connection.

Armenian separatists considered this process was hammered by the secretary of the Central Committee of the Soviet Union Communist Party M.Suslov. As a result of the brave and decisive position of Heydar Aliyev, caming to power in 1969, the separatist initiatives of Armenians and their activity conducted in the Center with this purpose had not been fruitful within a long period of time. Armenians tried to raise this problem once more with the same obstinacy in period of approval of the 1977 Constitution of USSR.

Yet they did not achieve their goal. The decisive actions of H.Aliyev when he ruled Azerbaijan (1969-1982) and was one of the leaders of USSR (1982-1987) prevented the intensification of Armenians' separatist actions. 

The publication of the book "Ochaq" by Z.Babayan in Yerevan in 1984, pervertions of the history and present state of Karabakh again intensified the nationalist-separatist activity. This atmosphere was supported by Soviet government (in the face of M.S.Gorbachyov) in the conditions of "reconstruction" declared by M.S.Gorbachyov, surrounded by Armenian nationalists and laid the foundation for the new stage. Daghlig Garabagh, governed by Armenian separatists and terrorists, backed by Moscow again followed the pass of betrayal like in period of the Azerbaijan Democratice Republic in 1920. 

General view on the development of Plain Karabakh and the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh

Through its whole history Karabakh, as a unique geographical region of Azerbaijan was the province of harmonious economic and political development, likewise traditions, lifestyle and mode of life. However, the attachement of the status of autonomy to Daghlig Garabagh-mountain part of Karabakh changed the situation dramatically. 

As a result of created favorable conditions the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh started to transform into a developed agrarian-indusrial region while other parts of Karabakh inhabited by Azerbaijanis turned to its source of raw materials.The regions aroung Daghlig Garabagh inhabited by Azerbaijanis mainly focused on cooton-growing while manufacturing industry lagged behind in these regions.

These factors caused the higher rate of development of Daghlig Garabagh companred with other regions. The location of rest homes and sanatoriums in Daghlig Garabagh lead to the inflow of plain regions' inhabitants to these centers thus causing the rapid development Daghlig Garabagh economics. That promoted the receipt of big sum of funds to the budget of the Autonomous Province. The only high school of the whole region-Pedagogical Institute also located in the center of the Autonomous Province-Stepanakert. 

Unlike other historical parts of Karabakh the the economic predominance attained by Daghlig Garabagh proceeded on par with the increase of the political predominance of the autonomous province status. The plain regions of Karabakh mainly inhabited by Muslim Azerbaijanis were subject of greater pressure of the soviet regime and discrimination than the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh, dominated by Christian Armenians. 

That increased the ethnic egoism of Daghlig Garabagh Armenians backed by Moscow and Armenia SSR and created the atmosphere of open humiliation of Azerbaijanis. Thus, Armenians intensified their activity under the coordination of special centers in 1905-1906 and 1918-1920. At that period Armenians were also secretly supplied with arms. These factors along with other conditions were decisive in later occupation of other regions surrounding the Autonomous Province of Daghlig Garabagh by the minitary forces of Armenia and separatists of Daghlig Garabagh. 

Institute of History named after A.Bakykhanov of ANAS

Basic facts

The Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan  is part of the geographical area called Garabagh (Qarabağ).  This area covers the lands from the Araz River in the south to the Kur River in the north, and from junction of the Kur and Araz Rivers in the east to the eastern ranges of the Lesser Caucasus in the west. 

From ancient times up to the Russian occupation n in the early 19th century, this region was part of different Azerbaijani States. On 14 May 1805, the Treaty of Kurakchay between Ibrahim Khan, Khan of Karabakh, and Tsitsianov, representative of the Russian Emperor, was signed. According to this treaty, the Karabakh khanate came under the Russian rule. 

The occupation of the Northern Azerbaijani territories – excluding Nakhchyvan and Iravan khanates – was affirmed in Gulustan peace treaty, signed between Russia and Iran on 12 October 1813. According to Turkmanchay peace treaty signed on 10 February 1828, Nakhchyvan and Iravan khanates were occupied by Russia. 

After the signing of Gulustan and Turkmanchay treaties a very rapid mass resettlement of the Armenians in the Azerbaijani lands and the subsequent artificial territorial division took place.  

Within the Russian Empire, the territory once belonging to Azerbaijan was split under a number of laws among different administrative divisions. According to the most final administrative divisions, Azerbaijan was split among Baku, Elizavetpol and Iravan provinces, and Zagatala okrug. The Elizavetpol province included, inter alia, the area presently under the Armenian military occupation. 

Between 1905 and 1907, Armenians carried out a series of large-scale bloody actions against the Azerbaijanis. The atrocities began in Baku and then extended over the whole of Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani villages in the territory of present-day Armenia. Hundreds of settlements were destroyed and wiped off the earth, and thousands of civilians were barbarically killed. 

Taking advantage of the situation following the First World War and the February and October 1917 revolutions in Russia, the Armenians began to pursue the implementation of their plans under the banner of Bolshevism. Thus, under the watchword of combating counter-revolutionary elements, in March 1918 the Baku commune began to implement a plan aimed at eliminating the Azerbaijanis from Baku province. Apart from Baku, solely because of their ethnic affiliation, thousands of Azerbaijanis were annihilated also in Shirvan, Karabakh, Zangazur, Nakhchyvan, Lankaran and other regions of Azerbaijan. In these areas, civilian population was exterminated en masse, villages were burned and national cultural monuments were destroyed and obliterated. 

On 28 May 1918, Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) was proclaimed. On the same date, the Republic of Armenia was established. Article 1 of the Declaration of Independence of the ADR provided that “Starting from this day the people of Azerbaijan will have their sovereign rights. Azerbaijan that consists of Eastern and Southern Transcaucasia shall be legal independent State”. 

On April 1919, Allied Powers recognized temporary Karabakh General-Governship, which was established by ADR on January 1919 and consisted of Shusha, Javanshir, Jabrayil and Zangazur uezds (uezd - administrative-territorial unit of the Russian Empire, which was applied in the ADR and Azerbaijan SSR until the late 1920s) with the center in Shusha town, to be under Azerbaijani jurisdiction and Khosrov bay Sultanov as its governor. In 1919, the Armenian National Assembly of Nagorno-Karabakh officially recognized the authority of Azerbaijan. 

On 28 April 1920, the Soviet Socialist Republic of Azerbaijan (hereinafter – Azerbaijan SSR) was established. The facts illustrate that over the 70-years of the Soviet rule the Armenians succeeded in expanding their territory at the expense of Azerbaijan and expelling the Azerbaijanis from their historical lands. During this period, aforementioned policy was implemented systematically and methodically. As a result, the territory of Azerbaijan, which in 1918-1920 constituted 114.000 sq.km, was reduced to 86.600 sq.km during the Soviet rule.

On 30 November 1920, the western part of the Zangazur uezd was included in Armenia. As a result, Nakhchyvan region was cut off from the mainland of Azerbaijan.

On 13 October 1921, the Treaty of Friendship between the Armenian SSR, Azerbaijan SSR and Georgian SSR, on the one hand, and Turkey, on the other, was concluded in Kars with the participation of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. In Article 5 of the Treaty the Governments of Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan expressed their consent that “the Nakhchyvan oblast […] forms an autonomous territory under the protection of Azerbaijan”.  

From 12 March 1922 to 5 December 1936 Azerbaijan was a part of the Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Republics (hereinafter - TSFSR). Until the admission of Azerbaijan into the TSFSR, Basarkechar region of New-Bayazid uezd of the Russian Empire borders and 2/3 of Sharur-Daralayaz uezd were already included in Armenia. After the admission of Azerbaijan into the TSFSR a considerable portion of Gazakh uezd, a number of villages from Jabrayil uezd and the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of Nakhchyvan (hereinafter - Nakhchyvan ASSR) were included in Armenia. 

On the pretext of resettling the Armenians coming from abroad, the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted on 23 December 1947 and 10 March 1948 special decisions on the resettlement of collective farm workers and the other Azerbaijani population from the Armenian SSR to the Kur-Araz lowlands in the Azerbaijan SSR. Under these decisions, during the period between 1948 and 1953 more than 100,000 Azerbaijanis were forcibly resettled from their historical homelands – the mountainous regions of Armenia – to the then waterless steppes of Mughan and the Mil plateau.

The Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Azerbaijan SSR

As far as Nagorno-Karabakh is concerned, in response to territorial claims of the Armenian SSR regarding this part of Azerbaijan, on 5 July 1921, the Caucasian Bureau of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist (bolshevik) Party decided that:

Taking into consideration the necessity of national peace between the Muslims and the Armenians, the importance of the economic relations between Upper and Lower Karabakh and the permanent relations of Upper Karabakh with Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh shall be retained within the boundaries of the Soviet Socialist Republic of Azerbaijan and broad autonomy shall be given to Nagorno-Karabakh with Shusha city as an administrative center.”

On 7 July 1923, the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO) was established in the mountainous part of Karabakh, where majority of population was Armenian. The town of Khankandi was defined as the administrative centre of the autonomy. In September 1923, the name of the town was changed to Stepanakert after Stepan Shaumian, dashnak, and “bolshevik” leader.

The borders of the NKAO were defined in that way to ensure the majority to the Armenian population. According to the population census of 12 January 1989, the population of the autonomous oblast was around 189,000 persons; of them: around 139,000 Armenians – 73,5 %, around 48,000 Azerbaijanis – 25,3 %, around 2 000 representatives of other nationalities – 1,2 %. At the same time, about 200,000 Azerbaijanis compactly resided in Armenia at that time were refused even cultural autonomy both on the part of the USSR central government, and the government of the Armenian SSR.

The allegations of discrimination against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh do not stand up to scrutiny. In reality, the NKAO possessed all essential elements of self-government.

The status of Nagorno-Karabakh as an autonomous oblast within the Azerbaijan SSR was stipulated in the Constitutions of the USSR of 1936 and 1977. In accordance with the Constitutions of the USSR and the Azerbaijan SSR, the legal status of the NKAO was governed by the Law “On the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast”, which was adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR on 16 June 1981 following its submission by the Soviet of People’s Deputies of the NKAO. As a national territorial unit, the NKAO enjoyed a form of administrative autonomy, and, accordingly, had a number of rights, which, in practice, ensured that its population’s specific needs were met. Under the Constitution of the former USSR, the NKAO was represented by five deputies in the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. It was represented by 12 deputies in the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR.

The Soviet of People’s Deputies of the NKAO — the government authority in the region — had a wide range of powers. It decided all local issues based on the interests of citizens living in the oblastand with reference to its national and other specific features. Armenian was used in the work of all government, administrative and judicial bodies and the Procurator’s Office, as well as in education, reflecting the language requirements of the majority of the region’s population. Local TV and radio broadcasts, publication of newspapers and magazines in the Armenian language were guaranteed in the NKAO.

In the period 1971 to 1985, 483 million rubles of capital investment were channeled into the development of the NKAO, 2.8 times more than in the previous 15-year period. Over the preceding 20 years, the volume of per capita capital investment had increased nearly fourfold (226 rubles in 1981-1985 against 59 rubles in 1961-1965). Over the preceding 15 years, per capita housing construction had amounted to3.64 square metersin Azerbaijan as a whole, whereas for the NKAO the figure was4.76 square meters. The number of hospital beds per 10,000 inhabitants was 15 per cent higher than in the rest of the republic.

The NKAO ranked relatively high among the republic’s regions in terms of the number of pre-school places available. Thus, in the period 1971 to 1985 the increase in the number of places in children’s institutions per 10,000 inhabitants in the oblast was 1.4 times of the average for the republic. The same is true of the increase in the number of places per 10,000 inhabitants in schools providing general education, the NKAO being ahead by a factor of 1.6.

The fact that provision of housing, goods and services was superior to that in the republic as a whole was typical of the social and cultural development of the oblast. Per capita living space in apartment buildings in the region was almost one third greater than the average for the republic, while rural dwellers had 1.5 times more living space than peasants in the republic as a whole.

The population of the oblast had access to greater numbers of medium-level medical personnel (1.3 times more) and hospital beds (3 per cent more). There was a more extensive network of institutions providing cultural and information services (more than three times the number of cinemas and clubs and twice as many libraries), and there were 1.6 times more books and magazines per 100 readers.

In fact, the NKAO was developing more rapidly than Azerbaijan as a whole. For example, whereas industrial output in the republic increased threefold between 1970 and 1986, inthe NKAO it grew by a factor of 3.3 (the rate of growth there was 8,3 per cent higher). In 1986, 3.1 times more fixed capital assets were brought into use in the oblast than in 1970; in the republic the figure was 2.5. As far as basic social development indicators were concerned, the NKAO exceeded the average republic-wide standard of living indicators in the Azerbaijan SSR. There was significant progress in the development of cultural establishments, both in the oblast and throughout the republic.

In the 1988/89 school year, there were 136 secondary general education schools in Nagorno-Karabakh using Armenian as the language of instruction (16,120 pupils) and 13 international schools (7,045 pupils). In Azerbaijan as a whole during that school year, there were 181 Armenian schools (20,712 pupils) and 29 international schools (12,766 pupils). The State Pedagogical Institute in Khankandi had more than 2,130 students, mostly Armenian, studying in its Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian divisions. In addition, Nagorno-Karabakh had dozens of specialized secondary schools and vocational training institutes offering instruction in Armenian and Russian.

Five independent periodicals appeared in the Armenian language. Unlike other administrative territorial units of Azerbaijan located far from the capital of the republic in mountainous areas, the NKAO was equipped with technical infrastructure for receiving television and radio programmes.

As has been seen above, and as the existence and development of the NKAO within Azerbaijan confirms, the form of autonomy that had evolved fully reflected the specific economic, social, cultural and national characteristics of the population and the way of life in the autonomous region.

Beginning of the conflict

The present-day stage of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict began at the end of 1987 with the attacks on the Azerbaijanis in Khankandi (during the Soviet period – Stepanakert) and Armenia resulted in a flood of Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons.  

On 20 February 1988, the representatives of the Armenian community at the session of the Soviet of People’s Deputies of the NKAO adopted a decision to send a petition to the Supreme Soviets of the Azerbaijan SSR and the Armenian SSR for the transfer of the NKAO from the Azerbaijan SSR to the Armenian SSR.  

On 22 February 1988, near the town of Asgaran on the Khankandi-Aghdam highway, the Armenians opened fire on a peaceful demonstration by the Azerbaijanis protesting against the above-mentioned decision of the Soviet of People’s Deputies of the NKAO. Two Azerbaijani youths lost their lives in consequence, becoming the first victims of the conflict.  

On 26-28 February 1988, twenty-six Armenians and Azerbaijanis were killed as a result of the disturbances in Sumgait. It is notable that one of the leading figures in these events was Edward Grigorian, an Armenian and native of Sumgait, who was directly involved in the killings and violence against the Armenians and the pogroms in the Armenian neighborhoods. By decision of the Criminal Division of the Supreme Court of the Azerbaijan SSR dated 22 December 1989, Grigorian was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment. The Court found Grigorian to be one of the organizers of the unrest and massacres. Depositions by witnesses and victims show that he had a list of flats inhabited by the Armenians and together with three other Armenians, called for reprisals against the Armenians, in which he took part personally. His victims (all Armenians) identified Grigorian as one of the organizers and active figures in the violence. In fact, events in Sumgait being necessary to the Armenian leadership as a mean of launching an extensive anti-Azerbaijani campaign and justifying the ensuing aggressive actions against Azerbaijan had been planned and prepared in advance.  

During 1988-1989 the Azerbaijanis were forced to leave Armenia. In the course of mass deportation at least 216 Azerbaijanis were killed and 1,154 people were wounded. The refugees from Armenia — eventually numbering approximately 200,000 people — began to arrive in Azerbaijan.  

On 23 September 1989, The Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR adopted the Constitutional Law “On Sovereignty of the Azerbaijan SSR,” 5th provision of which provided, inter alia, “that sovereignty of the Azerbaijan SSR shall cover the whole its territory, including Azerbaijan’s integral parts – Nakhchyvan ASSR and NKAO”, and that “the borders of the Azerbaijan SSR with other Union Republics might be altered only by mutual agreement of republics concerned.” 

On 1 December 1989, the Supreme Soviet of the Armenia SSR adopted a resolution on the re-unification of the Armenian SSR and Nagorno-Karabakh.  

On 10 January 1990, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the Resolution “On incompatibility of the acts of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR concerning Nagorno-Karabakh with the Constitution of the USSR”, where it was stated the unlawfulness of the unification of the Armenian SSR and Nagorno-Karabakh without the consent of the Azerbaijan SSR. 

On 20 January 1990, with the approval of the Soviet leadership under Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet army units were dispatched to Baku. Their reprisals, which were conducted with uncommon savagery, left hundreds of innocent Azerbaijani citizens dead and wounded.  

In 1991, the central law-enforcement agencies of the then USSR apprehended dozens of the Armenian armed groups that operated outside Nagorno-Karabakh. Thus, Chaykand village of the Khanlar district of Azerbaijan was turned by the Armenian armed groups into a criminal hub from which they bombed and shelled surrounding villages and roads, terrorizing the local Azerbaijani population. From 1989 to 1991, in Chaykand and adjacent areas only 54 people fell victim to the Armenian armed groups. In 1992, Azerbaijan regained its control over Goranboy district. 

On 30 August 1991, the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan, having regard to the Constitutional Law of 23 September 1989, declared the restoration of state independence established in 1918 by the ADR. 

On 2 September 1991, the joint session of the Nagorno-Karabakh regional and Shaumian district Soviet of People’s Deputies declared the establishment of “the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic” within the borders of the NKAO and Shaumian district of Azerbaijan. 

The Constitutional Act “On State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan”, adopted on 18 October 1991, established political and economical foundations of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

On 26 November 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Azerbaijan adopted a Law “On the Abolition of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Republic of Azerbaijan”. 

At the end of 1991 and the beginning of 1992 the conflict turned into a military phase. Taking advantage of the political instability as a result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and internal squabbles in Azerbaijan, Armenia initiated combat operations in Nagorno-Karabakh helped with external military assistance. 

In February 1992, an unprecedented genocide was committed against the Azerbaijani population in the town of Khojaly. This bloody tragedy, which became known as the Khojaly genocide, involved the extermination or the capture of thousands of Azerbaijanis; the town was razed to the ground. Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 the Armenian armed forces with the help of the infantry guards regiment № 366 of the former USSR implemented the seizure of Khojaly. The inhabitants of Khojaly remained in the town before the tragic night (about 2,500 people) tried to leave their houses after the beginning of the assault in the hope to find the way to the nearest place populated by the Azerbaijanis. But these plans have failed. Invaders destroyed Khojaly and with particular brutality implemented carnage over its peaceful population.  

Brutal annihilation of hundreds of defenseless inhabitants of Khojaly was one of the most heinous crimes during the armed conflict in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Armenian armed forces and foreign military units spared virtually none of those who had been unable to flee Khojaly and the surrounding area. As a result, 613 persons were killed, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people. 1,275 inhabitants were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 persons remains unknown to this day. In the course of the tragedy 487 inhabitants of Khojaly were severely maimed, including 76 children not yet of age. 6 families were completely wiped out, 26 children lost both parents, and 130 children one of their parents. Of those who perished, 56 persons were killed with especial cruelty: by burning alive, scalping, beheading, gouging out of eyes, and bayoneting of pregnant women in the abdomen. 

Armenian officials deny their responsibility for the crimes committed during the conflict, including against the population of Khojaly, airily falsifying facts and sharing their own interpretations of them, which deviate not only from reality but also from elementary logic. Nevertheless, even the subtlest propaganda will never manage to disprove the facts that speak of a situation diametrically opposite to that represented by the Armenian side. 

Apart from the considerable information in possession of the law-enforcement agencies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the responsibility of Armenia is documented also by numerous independent sources and eyewitnesses of this tragedy as well as is acknowledged by the direct perpetrators of the genocide. 

Thus, for example, Markar Melkonian, brother of the well-known international terrorist Monte Melkonian, while considering what has happened in Khojaly simply as a consequence of “discipline problems” and “insubordination” among Armenian military units, testified the following: 

At about 11:00 p.m. the night before, some 2,000 Armenian fighters had advanced through the high grass on three sides of Khojaly, forcing the residents out through the open side to the east. By the morning of February 26, the refugees had made it to the eastern cusp of Mountainous Karabagh and had begun working their way downhill, toward safety in the Azeri city of Agdam, about six miles away. There, in the hillocks and within sight of safety, Mountainous Karabagh soldiers had chased them down. “They just shot and shot,” a refugee woman, Raisa Aslanova, testified to a human Rights Watch investigator. The Armenian fighters had then unsheathed the knives they had carried on their hips for so long, and began stabbing. 

Now, the only sound was the wind whistling through dry grass, a wind that was too early yet to blow away the stench of corpses.

Monte crunched over the grass where women and girls lay scattered like broken dolls. “No discipline”, he muttered. He knew the significance of the day’s date: it was the run-up to the fourth anniversary of the anti-Armenian pogrom  in the city of Sumgait. Khojaly had been a strategic goal, but it had also been an act of revenge.  

In his book “Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan through peace and war”, the British journalist Thomas de Waal makes references to words of the Armenian militaries. Thus, “[a]n Armenian police officer, Major Valery Babayan, suggested revenge as a motive. He told the American reporter Paul Quinn-Judge that many of the fighters who had taken part in the Khojaly attack “originally came from Sumgait and places like that”.  

But the most important was that the recently elected President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan said of what had had happened: 

Before Khojaly, the Azerbaijanis thought that they were joking with us, they thought that the Armenians were people who could not raise their hand against the civilian population. We were able to break that [stereotype]. And that’s what happened. And we should also take into account that amongst those boys were people who had fled from Baku and Sumgait. 

As Thomas de Waal sums up, “Sargsyan’s account throws a different light on the worst massacre of the Karabakh war, suggesting that the killings may, at least in part, have been a deliberate act o mass killing as intimidation”.  

The facts mentioned above confirm that the intentional slaughter of the Khojaly town civilians on 25-26 February 1992, including children, elderly and women, was directed at heir mass extermination only because they were Azerbaijanis. The Khojaly town was chosen as a stage for further occupation and ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijani territories, striking terror into the hearts of people and creating panic and fear before the horrifying genocide. 

In May 1992, Shusha, the Azerbaijani-populated administrative centre of the region within Nagorno-Karabakh and Lachyn, the region situated between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, were occupied. In 1993,  Armenian armed forces captured another six regions of Azerbaijan around Nagorno-Karabakh: Kalbajar, Aghdam, Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Gubadly and Zangilan. 

Contrary to numerous statements of the official Yerevan that Armenia is not directly involved into the conflict with Azerbaijan, there are indisputable proofs, which testify against such allegations and argue for the direct military aggression of the Republic of Armenia against a sovereign state. 

There are ample evidences proving participation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia in the hostile actions against Azerbaijan. Since, the scope of this report prevents from providing complete list of available evidences, below are just a few well-documented facts of direct military actions of Armenia. 

Thus, in January 1994 the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan defeated the sub-divisions of the separate motor-rifle regiment №. 555 (Army unit No. 59016) of the Republic of Armenia in the combat and captured several Armenian soldiers. According to the documents seized in the wake of the combat operation, one of the units of this regiment made a dash in April 1993 from the town of Vardenis in the Republic of Armenia to Kalbajar region of Azerbaijan with the purpose of backing-up the group of Armenia’s occupation forces in this part of Azerbaijan.  

Among the trophy captured during the combat operations in Kalbajar region of Azerbaijan there were combat maps with battle-orders addressed to the commander of the separate motor-rifle regiment № 555 and to the head of the operational group, signed by the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, lieutenant-general G.Andresian, as well as working combat maps of the officers of the 3rd motor-rifle battalion of the 3rd separate motor-rifle brigade of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia. These maps are marked on with hand-written decision to launch an assault and seize Kalbajar region of Azerbaijan on 1 April 1993.  

Azerbaijani troops seized also many personal documents of the citizens of the Republic of Armenia drafted into the military and sent to Azerbaijan to participate in the combat operations. Among them are national passports, military ID’s issued by the different drafting bodies of the Republic of Armenia (“military commissariats”), call-up papers for joining military service and participation in the military musters issued by drafting bodies of different districts of the Republic of Armenia, official ID’s of employees of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia, special contracts for the service in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Armenia, travel warrants, petitions for conferring military ranks, drafting warrants, leave warrants and vocation passes.    

In 1992-1994, Armenian Armed Forces occupied administrative districts of the Republic of Azerbaijan as follows: 

May, 1992 – Shusha district;

May, 1992 – Lachyn district situated between the former NKAO and the Republic of Armenia;

April, 1993 – Kalbajar district (between the former NKAO and Armenia, to the north of Lachyn);

July, 1993 – Aghdam district;

August, 1993 – Fuzuli district;

August, 1993 – Jabrayil district;

August, 1993 – Gubadly district;

October, 1993 – Zangilan district.

On 30 April 1993, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution № 822, demanding immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces from Kalbajar and other recently occupied areas of Azerbaijan. 

On 29 July 1993, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution № 853, which demanded “the immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of occupying forces involved from the district of Aghdam and other recently occupied districts of the Republic of Azerbaijan”. 

On 14 October 1993, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution № 874, which called for “immediate implementation of the reciprocal and urgent steps provided for in the CSCE Minsk Group's adjusted timetable, including the withdrawal of forces from recently occupied territories”. 

On 11 November 1993, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution № 884, which condemned the occupation of Zangilan district and Horadiz town, attacks on civilians and bombardments of the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan and demanded the unilateral withdrawal of occupying forces from Zangilan district and Horadiz, and the withdrawal of occupying forces from other recently occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

In sum, the ongoing armed conflict in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan has resulted in the occupation of almost one-fifth of the territory of Azerbaijan and made approximately one out of every eight persons in the country an internally displaced person or refugee, 20,000 people were killed, 50,000 people were wounded or became invalids, about 5,000 citizens of Azerbaijan are still missing. 

The aggression against the Republic of Azerbaijan has severely damaged the socio-economic sphere of the country. In the occupied territories 871 settlements, including 11 towns, 848 villages, hundreds of hospitals and medical facilities have been burned or otherwise destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of houses and apartments, thousands of social and medical buildings have been destroyed or looted. Hundreds of libraries have been plundered, a great deal of valuable manuscripts have been burned or otherwise destroyed. Several State theatres, hundreds of clubs and dozens of musical schools have been destroyed. Several thousands of manufacturing, agricultural and other kinds of factories and plants have been pillaged. Hundreds kilometers-long irrigation system have been totally destroyed. Flocks of several hundreds of thousands of sheep and dozens of thousands of cattle have been driven out of the occupied territories to Armenia.  

About 70% of summer pastures of Azerbaijan remain in the occupied zone. The regional infrastructure, including hundreds of bridges, hundreds of kilometers of roads and thousands kilometers of water pipelines, thousands kilometers of gas pipelines and dozens of gas distribution stations, have all been destroyed. 

The war against Azerbaijan has also had catastrophic consequences for its cultural heritage both in the occupied territories and in Armenia.  

According to the preliminary data, the overall damage inflicted on the Republic of Azerbaijan as a result of Armenian aggression is estimated to be tens of billions USD. 

On 12 May 1994, the ceasefire was established. However, Armenia continues to violate the truce. Since summer of 2003 there has been an acute increase in ceasefire violations by the Armenian side. In addition to shelling and killing Azerbaijani soldiers along cease-fire line, Armenians also attack civilians in the adjacent territories. 

Expulsion of Azerbaijanis from their lands in the Soviet period

During World War II the Armenian Dashnak leaders including Mikoyan “had acted tow sided for "Great Armenia” idea. On the one hand, they believed in Hitler's victory in the Transcaucasus and offered him the establishment of 2 states - the Armenian and Georgian states here. At the same time they wanted to annex the lands of Azerbaijan. But on the other hand, if the victory will be on the Soviet Union side, they mad a plan to annex Turkey’s Kars province and adjacent areas to Armenia. In both cases they attempted to deport Azerbaijanis from Transcaucasia to Central Asia and Siberia.

The first step in this plan was reflected in Tehran (28XI-01XII1943) of Allied Forces. The Armenians could make them to achieve agreement on resettlement of Armenians abroad to Soviet Armenia.

The purpose was to annex lands from Turkey and to deport Azerbaijanis from Armenia and replace them with Armenians living abroad. The Armenians influenced on the Soviet government in order to achieve the first purpose.

The Soviet government issued a Note to the Republic of Turkey (1945) and demanded the above-mentioned area (26.4 sq km) and control of the Straits. This situation might cause World War III between the Soviet Union and Turkey. Stalin seeing the great danger refused this demand. Thus, the Armenians have failed in this goal. When to get lands from Turkey became a difficult issue Armenians turned their face to Soviet Azerbaijan. In November 1945, the Armenian Communist Party secretary G. Arutyunov in his letter to Stalin requested him to give Garabagh to the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Stalin directed that letter to K.M.Malenkov and he in turn send to the leadership of Azerbaijan. In response to that letter Mirjafar Bagirov stated that Azerbaijan does not object to this proposal, provided that the Armenian SSR, Georgian SSR and Dagestan ASSR should return to Azerbaijan SSR the territories of compact living of Azerbaijanis and adjacent territories, which once were historical parts of Azerbaijan (Zangezur, Goycha, Borchali, Derbent, and etc.). Thus, the next attempt of Armenians failed.

After failed attempt to unite Garabagh with the Armenian SSR the Soviet government decided on the organization of resettlement of Armenians living abroad to Soviet Armenia in November 1945, taking into account the application of Soviet Armenia. As a result of first propaganda 130 thousand Armenians were shifted to Soviet Armenia. The foreign Armenian organizations ("Hnchak", "Ramkavar" parties, All-Armenian Union of Chary) spent $ 1 million fro this resettlement. At 1st migration course more than 90 thousand Armenians (50.9 thousand in 1946, 35.4 thousand in 1947) resettled here. For political purposes the Soviet Armenian government deliberately delayed their accommodation. They had to wait for weeks at the railway stations. They used a pretext as if there were no conditions for displaced persons. So, the government of Armenia found the solution in deportation of Azerbaijanis. And Moscow agreed on Armenian reckless scheme. On December 23, 1947, on behalf of USSR Council of Ministers Stalin adopted a decision No 4083 "On resettlement of collective farmers and other Azerbaijani population from the Armenian SSR to Kur-Araz lowland of Azerbaijan SSR". On February 2, 1948 the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan SSR adopted a decision on the relevant resettlement.

To clarify the above-mentioned decision of the Council of Ministers of the USSR in March 10, 1948 the second decision was adopted. As there was no introduction and explanation in previous decision. However, the decisions of the government of the USSR, as well as government of Azerbaijan were non-objective decisions and were not in conformity with real truth and existing then circumstances.

In decision of December 23, 1947 it was stated that in the years 1948-1950, on the "voluntary" basis 100 thousand collective farmer living in the Armenian SSR and other Azerbaijani population to be resettled in the Azerbaijan SSR to Kur-Araz lowland. Thus, following deportation of the Azerbaijani population from the West Azerbaijan began. This deportation was 7th deportation and massacre of Azerbaijani population of the West Azerbaijan in the last two centuries (1828,1856,1878,1905-1907,1918-1920,1937-1938,1948-1953). As a result of this massacre and deportation 150,000 people from the Armenian SSR was scattered in Kur-Araz lowland of Azerbaijan SSR and hardly in other regions. As a result, 50,000 people were killed. And after Stalin's death 50,000 people returned to their destroyed homes and could restore their livings in ancient motherlands. This event was also a part of the next genocide.

For the years 1948-1953-the "voluntary" resettlement was to be carried out in three phases: the first phase- 1948-1950, in 1951-1952 Phase II, and III Phase in 1953. The initial results of the first phase failed. The majority of the population, especially the elderly and the children moved Mughan got in mass various infectious diseases and mass mortality occurred due to the weather and poor living conditions. Knowing this fact the Azerbaijani population that was not driven out was in desperate situation. Disadvantaged population requested to settle them in the mountainous regions of Azerbaijan, in particular, in Nagorno-Qarabagh, but they could not achieve it.

However, some villages of Pambak area, Baran district (Noyemberyan) Lambali, Korpulu, etc with difficulty could get permission for settlement in the Kazakh region of Azerbaijan SSR.

But the people were accommodated in tents and wagons in Jeyran Chol. Many displaced persons, used to dig ground and make shelter as sheep but living environment was very miserable. The government was unable to arrange a new settlement. The population had to scatter to villages of Borchalı and Kazakh. Even some people went back to their villages in Armenia. However, the state inventoried their homes and distributed to Armenians arriving from abroad. Even the owners of the empty houses were not allowed in. The population of the Lambali village of Noyemberyan region had built temporary homes and lived there until the death of Stalin. Only after a letter of response from Khrushov Lambali people were accommodated into empty homes.

But the fate of Azerbaijani scattered in Borchali villages was more miserable. In the autumn of 1951 they were deported to Kazakhstan in trains. In connection with the resettlement then leaders of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (M.J.Bagırov, T. Guliyev, N. Heydarov) fell in deadlock. The level of economic and cultural life of the Azerbaijani people at that time was much lower level compared to other Transcaucasian republics. To resettle 100,000 people within a short time was not easy problem. But it was the will of "father of nations" - Stalin.

During the last years of the power of N. Khrushov the "Great Armenia" idea was put forward in an agenda of Soviet administration at the initiative of Mikoyan. Misusing the agriculture policy of Khrushov- the policy of the USSR on the division of economic regions, Mikoyan suggested that the unification of Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic to Armenian SSR was important for development of the economy in Armenian SSR and Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic. Khrushsov gave this proposal to the discussion of the Azerbaijani intelligentsia and as a result this attempt was unsuccessful.

Some stability was formed in Armenia in relation to Azerbaijanis living there. At the same time sharp and just actions against the pro-Stalinist leaders of the Republic increased the responsibility and any extremist movement was prevented. However, as the 50th anniversary of "METS YEGERN" so called “Great genocide” of the Armenians became closer, the territorial claims, bad attitude to Turks began to increase. In particular, after the Crimea was unified with the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic the extremists demands rose here in a wide scale.

During 1962-1963 when issues in connection with applications sent to Moscow with land claims to Azerbaijan and Turkey were discussed at the Bureau of Communist Party of Armenia at secret conversations such facts were revealed that the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR A.I.Mikoyan had raised a question of unification of Nagorno-Qarabagh Autonomous Oblast with the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic before N.S.Khrushov, and in the response Khrushov said that the he can provide sufficient number of military vehicles and to order for resettlement of Armenians from Nagorno-Qarabagh to Armenia just during one night. Of course, such a sharp reaction had an impact.

However, the disposal of N.S.Khrushov from power in 1964 broke a temporary silence. The preparatory works for marking of the 50th anniversary of so called event”METS YEGERN" were intensified. By holding this event the aim of Dashnak party and other reactionary-nationalist parties operating in foreign countries coincides with activity of the leadership of the Armenian SSR, and propaganda work carried out on both sides focused on this goal. Thus, it is claimed that the Turkish government and people should bear responsibility for this “genocide” and ancient eternal Armenian lands are to be re-united and the "Great Armenia" state should be established.

The idea of annexing of Bogdanovka region of Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, as well as the bordering regions, the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic and the Nagorno-Qarabagh Autonomous Oblast, a great part of the Republic of Turkey - Ardahan, Trabzon, Kars, Bitlis, Van provinces to Armenia was sounded both at the official circles of Armenia, as well as the by people, and resolutions, appeals were adopted in this regard. In all the labor collectives, kolkhoz and sovkhoz, universities and secondary schools, even at primary classes such campaigns are held, and appeals to hold 50th anniversary of “METS YEGERN" with unity and unanimity of the Armenian people at a high level are sounded, films inspiring a feeling of hate against the Turks are demonstrated and books were published. In mass media the wisdom of the Armenian people, idea that the neighboring nations were migrants and non-aboriginal is propagated and articles are published and radio and TV programs were organized.

By the way it should be noted that in 1965 a secret army of Armenian terror "ASALA" was already formed. Even the command of the organization had prepared a plan to arrange massacre of Turks on April 24 for 50th anniversary of "METS YEGERN» and 100th anniversary of birthday of "people hero" Ozanian Andronik (April 24, 1965). According to plan’s program, on April 24, armed groups had to attacked Azerbaijani villages in Armenia and kill the civilian population in mass. At the same time, the destructive action at the borders of Turkey, attacks and massacres were planned, too. At that time the radio and television should relay the information to all over the world, as if armed Azerbaijanis attacked Armenian villages and to help them Turkish army broke the border and attacked Soviet border guards. By this plan "ASALA" hoped that the Soviet Army will join the conflict and using this suitable moment Armenia could get lands from Turkey - Kars, Ardahan, Igdir provinces, etc.

Vigilant on this point of the plan the people sent telegrams to Moscow from Georgia and Azerbaijan. The state was forced to take emergency action. In all Armenian and Azerbaijani villages the militia and guards, soldiers were deployed and the army was given the task to be vigilant. The Armenians were forced to leave this offensive plan. However, as mentioned above, in Lenin Square in Yerevan the rally was held. When the order from military unit came on leaving the Square, the demonstrators headed by the priest Vazgen had taken off their shoes and marched to Echmiadzin Church (more than 30 km of road). In the next days, especially on 23-24-25 April of 1965, the actions reached its highest point. The Armenian population of the city of Yerevan went on streets, and moved to place of erection of "Genocide" memorial in the memory of the victims so called “genocide”. Together with the cathalicos the leaders of republic also marched to the memorial. Symbolic coffin covered with black cloth was carried on the heads of the mass and the slogans with words “Great Armenia", "To return territories to Armenia!", "Revenge!" were carried out.

After this event, the Azerbaijani population of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic begun to be suppressed, especially in Yerevan, Leninakan, Kirovakan, Gafan Azerbaijanis were assaulted and insulted in buses, markets, public places.

Azerbaijanis (in particular, from Gugark region) had warned Moscow with application, telegrams, but also sent a representative. Thus, the complaint of the Azerbaijanis was discussed at Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Soviet CP; "the state of international education" in Gugark region was reviewed and recommendations to improve international education were given. But no one was punished at the Republican level. Only the first secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Armenia Y. Zarobian was dismissed and in February 1966 was appointed as Deputy Minister of the Electrical Industry of the USSR. The terrible life of Azerbaijanis living in Armenia remained as it was.

Unfortunately, 9 deportation and genocide actions committed by Armenians for many years due to adventurous policy of tsarist Russia and the USSR against Azerbaijani Turks living in Western Armenia could not get its political evaluation on a global scale.

After being defeated in struggle with Turkey and Azerbaijan for purposes of land annexation the Armenians had to change their tactics. One of the ways of this struggle was terrorism with the old tactics, and the other collection the money for "Great Armenia" idea. It should be noted that the Armenian Dashnak party is the only party on the Earth that gives the place to terrorism in its charter. And they achieve certain goals with terrorism.

And money for "Poor Armenian people" is collected from the donations of the Armenian Diaspora abroad, and those Armenians living in the USSR.

In addition, money is collected from various social organizations in the USSR (the protection of historical monuments, environmental protection, etc.) on behalf of the various public organizations. And those Armenians that refused to pay for “Great Armenia", were punished. It is confirmed with events in Sumgait in February 28-29, 1988 and the events of January 13-17, 1990 in Baku. In the actions prepared by the Armenians the Armenians that did not pay for "Great Armenia" fund were killed, as well as the investigation determined that the actions were committed by the Armenians, with the consent of Moscow.

The money collected was deposited in foreign banks in the name of the Echmiadzin Church. In 1965, while marking the 50th anniversary of false "Armenian genocide" Armenians openly announced that 40 billion U.S dollars was collected for the "Great Armenia" idea. They did acknowledge that the purpose of money collecting is to get "Armenian" lands from Turkey and Iran (mean South Azerbaijan). Just with this money dashnaks had set a terrorist Armenian army "ASALA".

In the Soviet Union the first activities of "ASALA" was Moscow metro explosion, theft of weapons from military warehouse in Armenia, the Armenian pogroms in Sumgait and Baku, the pogroms of Ahiska Turks in Uzbekistan under the leadership of the responsible USSR Prosecutor's Office employee Gdlyan, Masis and Guqark massacres and other facts can be mentioned.

General overview

In order to justify the territorial claims of Armenia towards Azerbaijan, the officials of the former frequently raise a proposition, according to which Nagorno-Karabakh has never been within the jurisdiction of independent Azerbaijan.

In addition, in view of official Yerevan, the secession of Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan in the process of disintegration of the USSR in 1991 and the establishment of the “Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh” were legally founded. Thereby the special emphasis is placed on the provisions of the Law of the USSR “On the Procedures for Resolving Questions Related to the Secession of Union Republics from the USSR” of 3 April 1990, according to which in case of realization by the Union Republic of the secession procedure provided for in this Law autonomous entities would acquire a right to decide independently the question of staying in the USSR or in the seceding republic, as well as to raise the question of their own state-legal status.

Moreover, Armenia claims that Azerbaijan has no any reason to pretend to its frontiers of the Soviet period insofar as it refused to regard itself as a successor State to the USSR.

Apart from that mentioned above, the Armenian side frequently speculates on the international legal principle of the right of peoples to self-determination trying to extend its application to the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh in form of unilateral secession.

As was mentioned above, on 20 February 1988, the representatives of the Armenian community at the session of the Soviet of People’s Deputies of the NKAO had adopted a decision to petition to the Supreme Soviets of the Azerbaijan SSR and the Armenian SSR for the transfer of the NKAO from the Azerbaijan SSR to the Armenian SSR.

It should be made clear in this regard that the procedure for changing the borders of Union republics was stipulated in the constitutions of the USSR and the Union republics. Thus, under Article 78 of the USSR Constitution, the territory of a Union republic could not be altered without its consent. The borders between Union republics could be altered by mutual agreement of the republics concerned, subject to approval by the USSR. This provision was also incorporated in the Constitutions of the Azerbaijan SSR and the Armenian SSR.

In response to the decision of the Soviet of People’s Deputies of the NKAO of 20 February 1988, on 15 June 1988 the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR adopted a resolution agreeing to the incorporation of the NKAO in the Armenian SSR and requesting the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to consider and approve the transfer of the oblast from the Azerbaijan SSR to the Armenian SSR. In resolutions adopted on 13 and 17 June 1988, the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR and its Presidium, in turn, declared the transfer of the NKAO from the Azerbaijan SSR to the Armenia SSR to be unacceptable and impossible, based on Article 78 of the Constitution of the USSR and Article 70 of the Constitution of the Azerbaijan SSR.

It would seem, based on the provisions of the Constitution of the USSR and the Basic Laws of the Azerbaijan SSR and the Armenian SSR then in force, that the issue could have been considered closed, particularly since there were no serious grounds even for discussing the possibility of changing the borders between the Union republics.

However, on 12 July 1988, the Soviet of People’s Deputies of the NKAO adopted an illegal decision on the secession of the oblast from the Azerbaijan SSR. In response, on 13 July 1988 the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR, guided by the Constitutions of the USSR and the Azerbaijan SSR, as well as the Law of the Azerbaijan SSR “On the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast”, adopted a resolution declaring the decision of the Soviet of People’s Deputies of the NKAO of 12 July 1988 on the unilateral secession of the NKAO from the Azerbaijan SSR to be illegal and without effect.

The so-called “Congress of plenipotentiary representatives of the population of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast”, held on 16 August 1989, declared unambiguously that it refused to recognize the status of Nagorno-Karabakh as an autonomy within the Azerbaijan SSR. At the same time, the “Congress” proclaimed the region an “independent union territory”, in which the Constitution of the Azerbaijan SSR and other laws of the republic no longer applied. The “Congress” established a “national soviet”, which was declared the sole people’s authority in the NKAO.

As was to be expected, the reaction of the Azerbaijani side was not slow in coming. Thus, on 26 August 1989, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR adopted a resolution declaring the decision of the so-called “Congress of plenipotentiary representatives of the population of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast” to be illegal.

Of course, the Armenia SSR also participated actively in the attempts to formalize through legislation the seizure of the NKAO from the Azerbaijan SSR. In addition to the aforementioned resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR of 15 June 1988, the highest legislative body of this Union republic adopted many other anti-constitutional decisions, the best known of which is the resolution on the reunification of the Armenian SSR and Nagorno-Karabakh, adopted on 1 December 1989.

Against the background of these and many other decisions of the Armenian parliament on Nagorno-Karabakh, which openly attempted to legalize the unilateral seizure of part of the territory of one Union republic for the benefit of another and incite the creation of an unconstitutional entity in the territory of another State, the statements now being made by Yerevan about the non-involvement of Armenia in the hostilities in the territory of Azerbaijan may cause surprise, to say the least.

Obviously, before Azerbaijan and Armenia gained independence and the conflict was taken up by international organizations, the USSR central authorities played the role of arbitrator. In connection with the adoption in the late 1980-s of the illegal decisions aimed at the secession of the NKAO from the Azerbaijan SSR and annexation of the oblast to the Armenian SSR, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and its Presidium considered on several occasions the situation with respect to the crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh. All decisions of the superior State body of the former USSR, in particular the resolutions of 10 January and 3 March 1990, unequivocally recognize the inadmissibility of changing borders and the constitutionally established national-territorial division of the Azerbaijan SSR and the Armenian SSR.

Thus, the whole process of separation of Nagorno-Karabakh from the Azerbaijan SSR in favor of the Armenian SSR, formally started on 20 February 1988, was accompanied by the apparent violation of the USSR Constitution, and, therefore, caused no legal consequences whatsoever.

The correctness of this appraisal is circumstantially evidenced by the next attempt of the Armenian side to legalize the secession of Nagorno-Karabakh, which was made on 2 September 1991 by proclamation that day the “Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh”. In the Armenian side’s opinion, the basis for the legality of this step was the Law of the USSR “On the Procedures for Resolving Questions Related to the Secession of Union republics from the USSR” of 3 April 1990.

The Armenian side is confident that the establishment of the “Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh” was irreproachable from the point of view of standards of international law, since, in its view, on the date the Republic of Azerbaijan obtained its recognition, the “Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh” no longer formed part of it. However, as a simple analysis of these arguments shows, there are serious doubts as to their “irreproachability” precisely from a legal point of view.

It is necessary first to note that the purpose of the Law of 3 April 1990 was to regulate mutual relations within the framework of the USSR by establishing a specific procedure to be followed by Union republics in the event of their secession from the USSR. A decision by a Union republic to secede had to be based on the will of the people of the republic freely expressed through a referendum, subject to authorization by the Supreme Soviet of the Union republic.

At the same time, according to this Law, in a Union republic containing autonomous entities, the referendum had to be held separately in each of them, peoples of which retained the right to decide independently the question of staying in the USSR or in the seceding Union republic, as well as to raise the question of their own state-legal status. It is not difficult to see how an attempt by a Union republic to secede from the USSR would have ended, assuming it had complied with the procedure stipulated in the Law of 3 April 1990. It is therefore curiously to hear this Act being invoked by uncompromising advocates of the unrestricted right of peoples to self-determination, since that is precisely what the Law limited.

It is important to emphasize that the secession of a Union Republic from the USSR could be regarded valid only after the fulfillment of complicated and multi-staged procedure and, finally, the adoption of the relevant decision by the Congress of the USSR People’s Deputies.

However, until the Soviet Union ceased to exist as international person the mentioned Law was without legal effect, since no Union republic, including Azerbaijan and Armenia, had used the procedure for secession stipulated in it.

Until the Republic of Azerbaijan attained full independence and was recognized by the international community, the territory, on which the NKAO of the Azerbaijan SSR existed before 26 November 1991, had remained part of Azerbaijan.

After the collapse of the USSR, the international legal doctrine of uti possidetis juris underlay the international, regional and national legitimation of boundaries of the newly independent States.

According to the above-mentioned doctrine, from the time of attainment by the Republic of Azerbaijan of its independence, the former administrative borders of the Azerbaijan SSR, which included also the NKAO, are recognized as international and protected by international law. This understanding is also confirmed in the aforementioned four UN Security Council resolutions on the conflict in and around the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

As far as the right of peoples to self-determination is concerned, it is well known that, in reality, the practical realization of this right, as stipulated in the relevant international documents, does not involve unilateral secession, but represents a legitimate process carried out in accordance with international and domestic law within precisely identified limits. Obviously, the critical factor in addressing the issue of self-determination with regard to the conflict in question is that all actions aimed at tearing away a part of the territory of Azerbaijan were unconstitutional and accompanied by violation of basic rules of international law, particularly those prohibiting the use of force and the acquisition of territory.

Azerbaijan’s approach to the right of self-determination derives from its true value and envisages securing the peaceful coexistence and cooperation of the Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh region and creating the necessary conditions for the effective realization of their right to participate in the conduct of public affairs, including through the formation of legitimate regional authorities at all levels.

The potential of natural resources

Daghlig Garabagh and adjacent administrative regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan - Lachin, Kelbajar, Gubadli, Zangilan, Jebrayil, Agdam (regional center and a large part of the territory) and Fizuli (regional center and a large part of the territory) were occupied by Armenia from 1989 to 1993.

At present, Armenians transgressed a total of 558 km of the state border - the 198 km Azerbaijani-Iranian border from Horadiz settlement of the Fizuli region to the borders of the Zangilan region, and 360 km Azerbaijani-Armenian border. These territories are now under complete control of the Armenian military forces. Armenian forced destroyed buildings, outposts, frontier posts and demarcation lines from the USSR period along the border. The occupied areas along the Azerbaijani-Iranian borders are currently used for uncontrolled smuggling and sometimes for transportation of drugs. Construction materials for residential and public building and cut forest trees are transported from the occupied regions of Azerbaijan through the seized borders to Iran by Armenia.

This robbery, inherited from the ancient historical times, carried out by Armenia which currently introduces itself as a "civilized" state throws down a challenge not only to Azerbaijan but to the world community which shuts its eyes to all of that.

Other from that, the Kerki settlement of Sadarak region in Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic, Ashagi Akipara, Yukhari Askipara, Gushchu Ayrim, Barkhudarli settlements of Gazakh region and other ones situated at the Azerbaijan-Armenia border were destroyed and occupied.

The occupation of these villages represents a serious danger to the water reservoir, which was built on the Agstafa River and is of a high economic importance for the western regions of Azerbaijan. Irrigation canals with a length of 72.3 km supply 120 million cubic meters of water from the Agstafa reservoir to agricultural areas in the foothills, and to the settlements of Gazakh, Agstafa, Tovuz and Shamkir administrative regions.

Daghlig Garabagh is the only conflict area in the former USSR where the borders of an autonomous republic were exceeded and surrounding territories were occupied as well. For example, the conflict area in Abkhazia autonomous republic does not cross the limits of the autonomous republic and not a single inch of the surrounding territories was occupied. What are the international principles and laws which were followed in occupation of Daghlig Garabagh and surrounding regions of Azerbaijan - Lachin, Kelbejer, Gubadli, Zangilan Jabrayil, Fizuli and Agdam.

The occupied areas have different natural monuments, rare species of plants and animals. Occupied mountain zone of the Small Caucasus is a wide forest region. The total forest area is 246,700 hectares.

There were established several natural reserves and game reserves in the occupied territories of the Minor Caucasus in order to preserve the natural landscape, rare specires of plants and animals. Among them are Basimchay reserve, Lachin game reserve and others. Basimchay reserve was established in 1974 in Basimchay ravine of the occupied Zangilan area in the South-West of Azerbaijan. It occupies an area of 107 hectares covered with Eastern planes. The plane forests stretch to 12 km along the river. Some trees are over 500 years old. The Eastern Plane is entered into the Red Book.

Lachin game reserve was established in 1961 in the occupied Lachin region of Azerbaijan. Its area is 21,4 thousand hectares. Caucasian goats (about 400 heads), roe deers (500), steppe wild boars (400), francolins (800), partridges (2500) were protected in this game reserve. The Khary Bulbul, which can be found only in Shusha area in Azerbaijan, is a symbol of Karabakh.

The occupied regions are rich in underground and land natural resources. The most widespread minerals are nonferrous metal ores, gold, mercury, chromite, pearlite, lime, marble, agate, mineral waters and others. The resort-recreation potential of the territory is wide too. The list of the minerals deposits of the occupied by the Armenians regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan is in the bottom table.

The list of the mineral deposits in the occupied regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Aghdere

Shusha region

Khojaly region

Khojavend region

Kelbajar

Lachin

Gubatly

Zangilan

Jebrayil

Fizuli

Aghdam

(The tables are based on the information of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan)

As you can see, the rare and valuable mineral deposits have spread over the occupied region. Copper and zinc resources are concentrated in the Mehmana deposit place in western part of the Minor Caucasus. Explored ore resources are ready for the exploitation in this area. Mercury resources of industrial significance are in Shorbulag and Agyatag of Kelbejer region.

Occupied regions are rich in different types of building materials, which are of great importance for Azerbaijan industry and building. Large resources of such materials are found in Chobandag located in the territory of Agdam region (lime resources are 140 million ton and clays are 20 million ton); Shahbulag (25 million ton of clays resources); Boyahmedi (45 million ton of clays resources) and other deposits. Large building stone deposits are in Hankendi, and the marble is in Harovdad.

There are more than 120 different compositions mineral water deposits of with high treatment capacity in the occupied areas. Among them are Yukhary (Upper) and Ashahy (Lower) Istisu, Bagyrsag, Keshdak in Kelbejer region; Iligsu, Minkend in Lachin region, Turshsu, Sirlan in Shusha region and other mineral waters attract particular attention. Istisu mineral water of Kelbajar region stands out particularly for the useful gas and chemical composition, high temperature, large natural resources. Its waters are useful both for the treatment of external and internal diseases.

A large resort and mineral waters packing factory were built on this spring in the 80s. This factory produced 800 thousand litres a day.

Turshsu (salt water) mineral spring is to 17 km of Shusha. Turshsu is used for different internal illnesses treatment, Shusha supply with the water through the water pipe. Turshsu and Isa springs for many centuries were the places where hold poetic and musical meetings of Karabakh.

It is significant that 39,9% of general geological resources of Azerbaijan mineral waters are located in the occupied areas.

One of the main conditions of the formation of national territories is close internal economic relations. At present, former Daghlig Garabagh Autonomous Region which fell a victim of the unfounded territorial claims of Armenia, was always a part of Azerbaijan and governed by its political system. The center of the region Hankendi directly connects with Azerbaijani railways and highways and in whole with the transport-commucation system of the republic. Railway from this center to Baku extends to 392 km.

The most part of the Armenians in Daghlig Garabagh had close relations with Baku. A lot of their family members lived in high social-economic level and worked in this city. Represented by the Soviet authorities malicious nationalist A. Mikoyan, taking into the consideration the factor of economic relations which play a very important role on 20 May 1920 wrote: "Agentes of Armenia State Dashnak try to unite Karabakh and Armenia, but this will deprive the population of Karabakh of their living sources - Baku and they will be forced to direct their views to Yerevan which has no relations with them".

Truth said above by the Armenians leader that Daghlig Garabagh economically always was an inseparable part of Azerbaijan explains by the geographical position and special features of nature of in this area. Thus, the mountainous part of Karabakh developed close economic relations with low-lying Karabakh for many centuries.

The ways along the river mouth firmly connect these two areas in economical way. Occupation by the Armenians of the Yukhary (Upper) Karabakh, in defiance of all this historical-geographical reality and its forcible separationrom the low land Karabakh created serious problems for the population and economy of the region.

For long years most of the enterprise located in Karabakh used fuel, raw materials and materials brought from Azerbaijan regions, many were the branches of Baku large-scale enterprises.

The former Daghlig Garabagh had the multilateral connections with Azerbaijan in the following directions:

1) Production cooperative relations - that is, merely production relations, including over feed-fuel sources; 2) commodity circulation; 3) material-technical equipment; 4) transport-cargo relations; 5) scientific-and-technical relations; 6) public administration relations; 7) cultural enlightener relations and others.

So, analysing every demonstrated relations it is possible to create a real view of the close relations between Daghlig Garabagh and Azerbaijan in that period. It is enough to point out that 8% of all raw silk cocoon incoming to the Karabakh Hankendi large-scale Silk Industrial complex in 1985 were produced in Daghlig Garabagh. The rest 92% were brought from other Azerbaijan regions. In 1986 in the field of external economic relations Daghlig Garabagh export quota with Armenia Republic was 0,3%, import - 1,4%, the export with Azerbaijan came to 33,3%, and an import quota was much higher.

United transport-communication system, operating in the occupied territories for many years were destroyed because of Armenia aggression. Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic situated aside from Karabakh zone and blockaded by Armenia suffers from this destruction very much.

With relation to transport-communication system Daghlig Garabagh territory are a far away from the capital of Armenia Yerevan and other large economic centers; the mountainous roads connected them are not suitable for cargo transportation because of natural disasters.

So, all currently occupied by Armenia regions have been closely related with Azerbaijan. Transport-communication system, tendency to common economy formed the base of these relations. Consequently there no any basis for the territorial claims of the Armenians only based on their national self-determination principles directed to Daghlig Garabagh which from the social-economic point of view is inseparable part of Azerbaijan.

Invaders regarding Azerbaijan as their property destroyed the important historical monuments in Shusha which was the historical capital of Karabakh, destructed national architecture, and rebuild them as they want.

In Azerbaijan Lachin corridor in the view of military engineering are hold completely new construction works.

Occupation of Azerbaijan lands and making there all wishful changes is not acceptable from the contemporary international law point of view. With relation to international law all resources in this area continue to be a property of Azerbaijan. This property only temporarily considers to be occupied and undoubtedly it must be return to its legal owner which is Azerbaijan.

All this confirms that the Daghlig Garabagh conflict which is presented as the efforts of national minorities for free definition of their fate has no any legal, social-economic base.

Water sources are under the blockade. Water problem solving is of great importance for Azerbaijan today. Since Azerbaijan is considered as a droughty region the development of irrigative agriculture, providing the cities and villages with water is a vitally important for the country. Close river network in the occupied mountains of the Small Caucasus are of great importance for the water resources forming in the Republic. The rivers taken their sources from these mountains, particular related to the Kura right branch Terter, Hakari, Hachinchay, Kondelenchay and others supply with large quantities of water the low-lying regions, the artificial lakes and irrigation canal are built on some of their. One of the complexes used in irrigation and receiving the electric energy is Terter hydrocomplex. This complex was built in 1976 at the expense of given for Azerbaijan SSR investments. The blockade by Armenia these and others vital for Azerbaijan irrigative systems and water sources changed into the great threat source for our country.

Sarsang reservoir and power station built on this Tartar hydrocomplex are currently under the control of the Armenian military forces. Volume of Sarsang reservoir is 560 thousand cubic meter. Long-distance channels taken their sources from this reservoir irrigate 80,1 thousand hectare of the low-lying regions Terter, Agdam, Barda, Goranboy. At present because of the occupation of the canals by the Armenians the crops in the mentioned regions don't yield a harvest.

Department of Economic and Social Geography of BSU

Environmental problems

The absence of information about the current ecological situation in the occupied lands creates great obstacles. Armenians hide the real ecological state of these areas and, therefore, it is possible to express only general views on the matter. It's well-known that all the natural elements of the region closely interact with each other and changes in one of the elements will transfer to others. The districts Kelbadjar, Lachyn, Qubadly, Zengilan, Djebrayil, Fizuli and Aghdam surrounding the occupied Daghlig Garabagh are currently out of control and are not cultivated therefore causing great ecological disaster.

Almost all of the rivers that originate in Armenia enter the Kur and Araz rivers of Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea. The rivers Okhchu, Zengi, Araz, Agstafa , that have been flowing from our countries for years, pollute waters of the rivers of Azerbaijan. The wastes of the Gafan copper fields thrown into rivers joining the Bokhchuchay and the utilized waters of Armenia enter Azerbaijan by the rivers. It's also known that the radioactive wastes utilized at the station are buried in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan.

Heavy military technique, moving across the occupied lands, large quantity of exploded canisters and buried mines caused a great damage to the soils and plants of these regions. No one is concerned with the environmental protection in these neglected regions: forests are cut and brought to the neighbor countries, the rare plants and animals are terminated. The destruction of the canals that originate in the occupied lands struck a hard blow on the agriculture of the foothill regions in Azerbaijan. As can be seen, the occupation caused damage to the nature of Azerbaijan along with the loss of people.

Armenians, aware of their temporal staying in these lands, use the natural reserves, minerals of the regions barbarously. Mineral waters, different technical materials and reserves are widely assimilated by Armenians.

As the illegal regime of Daghlig Garabagh is not responsible for the environmental protection in the occupied lands before any international organization the ecological state is deteriorating in the said region. Therefore, after the lands are released from the occupation it's necessary to demand the repayment of the great damage caused by the occupants for the improvement of the ecological situation.

The reserves which are under occupation are shown below. The reserve regime has been eliminated there: (according to the first report of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources.

The Beshitchay state reserve

The Beshitchay state reserve was established in the Zangelan district by the decree of the Azerbaijani government of July 4, 1974. It is located in the south-west in the Beshitchay valley. The reserve aims to protect the landscape complex, especially the rare plane tree forests. It covers the area of 107 hectares and extends to 15 kilometers and in some places to 150-200 meters. The reserve is surrounded by the forests of Armenia. Sparse woods account for 14% of 79.4% of the total are of woodlands, while the area free of forests-for 6.5%. The area covered with forests is mainly mountainous and it reaches a height of 600-800 meters. The climatic conditions are favorable for restoration and development of the plane forests. The annual number of sun hours totals 2200-2500, the average annual temperature is 1° in January and 25° in July.

The annual level of precipitations totals 600 mm, the snow cover reaches the level of 10-30 cm in some places-70-80 cm. The relative humidity makes up 60-70%.

The Beshitchay river extends to 44 kilometers and covers the area of 354 km2. It originates from the Zangezur mountains and flows into the Araz.

The plane forests account for 100 hectares of the total area of the state reserve of Beshitchay. There are also the mixed plane-tree woodlands which comprise the Greek walnut-tree, mulberry, willow tree, poplar, haw, dog-rose, brimstone, Jerusalem thorn, etc. The average age of the plane trees of the reserve equals 165 years, the average height is 35 meters and the average diameter totals 1 meter, there are also such trees the age of which equals 1200-1500 years, height-50 meters, diameter-4 meters. The tree reserves of the forest are 190 m3 of the total 16200 m3, and the annual growth of forests reaches 1.22 m3 out of the total 1 hectare. A number of researchers regard them as the survivals of ancient forests. According to A.A.Grossheym, some of them consider the forests to be the remnants of the natural plane tree forests widely spread in the river valleys of the south-western Transcaucasia.

The plane-trees are multiplied by seeds and young growth in the Beshitchay forests. The plane trees that were generated from young growth accounted for 80%, while those from seeds only for 20%. One of the greatest plane-trees of the reserve is 1200 years of age, 53 meters in height and 4 meters in diameter. Over 185 young growths appeared from its root bole. These young growths also resemble the giant trees as the eldest of them are 100-150 years of age with 40 meters in height.

Our people always highly appreciated the plane-trees and considered them to be the shah trees of the plant kingdom.

Likewise birch tree is the symbol of the plant kingdom of Russia, the plane-tree is also considered the symbol of the plant kingdom of Azerbaijan and its people regards this tree with favor. We are fully right to do that. The plane-tree is as magnificent as our pride and as ancient as our history. They are the charms and the pride of our nature.

Unfortunately, our wealth has been ruined by Armenian occupants since 1993; the forests are inflicted reprisals and are used in furniture production.

The Garagol State Reserve

The Garagol state reserve was established by the order of November 17, 1987 of the Ministries' Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Garagol state reserve is located at a height of 2658 meters above sea level on the border of Lachyn and Gorush districts. The reserve covers the area of 240 hectares. It includes the Garagol lake water area and the area of 64 hectares 100 in width along the shore of the lake.

The Garagol is surrounded by the Damirdash and small Ishighly mountain (3452) in the north-west on the north of the great Ishyghly mountain (3548 meters) in the source of the Agoglan river, which is the branch if the Hakari river, in the south part of the Karabakh volcanic mountains at a height of 2658 meters above sea level and by the moraine bloc in the east and Djanqutaran mountain in the north. The lake is a relict water source resembling the crater of an extinct volcano. Stratigraphically, the Garagol region lies among the pliosen aged rocks.

The lake extends to 1950 meters, its maximum width is 1250 meters and the length of its coastline is 5500 meters, the depth-7.8 meters and the area of the basin is 13 km2. The water volume in the lake is 10 million m3. The limpidity of the lake water is 4.6 meters. The ground of the lake nearing the shore is composed of stones of different size. The size of the stones declines in the direction to the center and the central part of the lake ground is composed of small sediments.

It is covered with ice beginning from the second half of October to late April. The thickness of ice reaches 50 cm at a distance of 20-25 meters from the shore to the center. The reserve accounts for 102 plant and animal species that fall into 68 types and 27 families.

As the lake was isolated from other water sources and its water was very pure and healing, the people of Azerbaijan regarded is as the holy place.

The establishment of cattle farms on the Armenian side of the lake in 1964, the utilization of its water for the irrigating of the sawing areas of the Goruz region through the construction of powerful pumping stations caused the pollution of the lake and the decline in its water level. The protests of Lachyn inhabitants against such attitude of Armenians restricted their activity. The intensive utilization of the water of the uncontrolled lake may currently lead to the unpreventable negative consequences.

The state game reserve of Lachyn

The state game reserve of Lachyn was established in the Lachyn district in November of 1961. The game reserve aimed to protect the animals and birds populating this region.

The game reserve is inhabited by roe deer, mountain goat, wild boar, bear, and such birds as Turaj, partridge and others. The game reserve covers an area of 21.4 hectares that makes up 0.25% of the territory of the Republic and 8.8% of all reserves of the country. Woodlands account for 34.5% or 7369 hectares, Alpine meadows-for 6.8% or 1448, Sub-alpine meadows-for 34.8% or 7400 hectares, pastures-for 20% or 4257 hectares, rocks-for 4% or 862 hectares and specially designed lands -for 34 hectares.

It has the landscape typical of that of the middle and high mountain areas.

The highest alp Gyrkhgyz (2825 meters) is sharply indented by the deep valleys of the Salva, Pidjanis, Qorchu and other rivers. The cold climate of dry winters is typical of the game reserve. According to the types of the plants the region is divided into the zone of Iberian oak mountain forests (1000-1700 meters), high mountain forests of oriental oak (1700-2200 meters), sub-alpine (2200-2500 meters) and alpine (2500-2800 meters) meadows. The forests mainly consist of hornbeam, lime-tree, birch and other trees, the forests of the hornbeam dominance are quite rear (8.1%), the mountain forests of oak, hornbeam and birch also occupy small area due to the pasturing that is widely spread there.

It is also characterized with the predominance of the relatively humid mezofil meadows of the dry slopes of Subalpine zone and different meadows of the Alpine zone and weakly developed Alpite herb carpet.

The primitive, scarce, mountain-meadow, typical , carbon, brown, rot-carbon mountain-meadow, typical and brown mountain-meadow soils are spread in the reserve.

The mountain and meadow zones as well as the mountain zones are subject to a greater influence by the industrial activity of people compared with forests.

At the same time, favorable conditions exist for the settlement of a number of animal and bird species in the region. They settle here in quite sufficient number.

According to the checking of 1989, the number of mountain goats settled in the region totaled 96, boar-360, roe deer-320, bear-110, wolf, badger and other animals also settled there and the number of settled peasants equaled 200, partridge-1500.

The enumeration of March 1991 showed that the number of animals and birds was reduced by Armenians (as is known, one part of the reserve is located on the territory of Daghlig Garabagh and Armenians use the conflict for hunting animals and birds. Thus the number of animals and birds is stated in the table below.

The most valuable red oak is found in the Hadjysamly forest of the reserve. French people constructed a road by destroying of the Gyrkhgyz mountain in Khankendi for utilization of the said oak in the times of Tsarist government. Yet they were not able to transport materials due to the establishment of the Soviet Union. The materials received from the tree were used for the production of valuable furniture and in storage of cognac. The tree is found only in the said reserve in the territory of Azerbaijan.

The said trees and other forests are terminated by Armenians barbarously.

The Qubadly reserve

The state game reserve of Gubadly was established on the territory of the Qubadly and Lachyn districts under the jurisdiction of the state reserve of Beshitchay in June of 1996. The reserve covers the south part of the Lachyn region and the north part of Qubadly and is composed of the mountain-steppe region. The reserve aims to protect the animal kingdom of the region, especially the roe deer, wild boar, pheasant and other animals and birds. The reserve covers an area of 20 thousand hectares and accounts for 8.2% of the country's game reserves. The reserve is characterized by forest, bush and forest-steppe areas.

The region covers the areas above the lower mountain ones. The temperate climate with dry winter is typical of the reserve. The average annual temperature of the region reaches 12-13° the level of precipitation equals 550-600 mm, the evaporation-750-800 mm. The average temperature equals 0.6° in January and 23° in July.

The area mainly comprises red oak and hornbeam. At the same time, the juniper, haw, dog-rose and blackberry are also widely spread in the region.

The ecological factors of the region created conditions for the normal existence of animals and birds. The enumeration conducted before the occupation of the region showed that the reserve accounts for 101 wild boars, 21 brown bear, 35 roe deer, 420 hares, 25 wolves, 310 jackal, 75 badgers. The partridge is the most widely spread among the birds of the region. Pheasants, turaj, quail and dove are the permanent inhabitants of the reserve.

The reserve has been under Armenian occupation for nearly nine years and Armenians use the wealth barbarously.

The Arazboyu game reserve

The Arazboyu game reserve was established on the bank of the Araz river on the Iran border in the Zangilan district under the jurisdiction of the Beshitchay state reserve in 1993. It is 50 kilometers in length, 50-100 meters in width ( in some places it reaches 200-400 meters, and it covers an area of 5 thousand hectares).

The game reserve aims to protect the flora and fauna existing in the region. It is characterized by a climate with warm summers and temperate winters. The average annual temperature equals 20-25° (1° in January and 35-38° in June-July). It is also notable for fertile clayey soils. The region comprises trees which need large quantities of water. The climate and fertile soil create normal conditions for the growth and development of plants.

According to the enumeration of animals, the reserve accounts for nearly 300 wild boars, 7 gray bears, 350 foxes, 300 jackals, 15 wolves, 70 badgers, 12 roe deer. Turaj, pheasants, partridges, quail and greenhead ducks are the permanent inhabitants of the reserve.

The Dashalty game reserve

The Dashalty game reserve was established for the protection of rare natural complexes of Shusha and Askeran in 1998. It covers an area of 450 hectares. The reserve which was occupied in 1992 was completely destroyed.

Department of Economic and Social Geography of BSU 

http://www.war-culture.az/

http://mfa.gov.az/files/file/Kitab.pdf

http://mfa.gov.az/files/file/Destruction_of_Azerbaijani_cultural_heritage.pdf

The entire Azeri population of 250,000 was forced to leave 22 regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and set their hopes on Azerbaijan at the first stages of the conflict in 1988-1989. In the process of uring these resettlement years 410 Azeri people were subjected to tortures by the Armenians executioners, including 57 women, 23 children who were brutally killed, received different physical injuries, and their houses and properties were ransacked. In total, 9 thousands sq. km. of the territory where Azerbaijanians lived was occupied.

The natural increase among the population of the occupied territories fell steeply, children death-rate rose because of the deterioration of living conditions. Compared to the figures from 1989, birth rate fell abruptly in all occupied regions in 1998. During the same period, death rate grew and natality per 1,000 persons strongly reduced. This decrease (for every 1000 persons) was in all regions between 11,2-22,6 men. Natural incresment of the population of Jebrayil, Gubatly, Zangilan and Aghdam in new settled areas much more fell off in shown years (between 16,9 and 22,6 men). Demography rate in occupied regions were lower than the middle level of the Republic.

The main reasons of the natality decrease in the occupied regions: too hard social and economic conditions, life conditions of the mountainous and foothills zones; uncompability with the warm climate in low-lying areas and others.

One of the important problems of the refugees and settlers connects with unemployment difficulties. According to the information of the Refugees Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan 301359 in number were able-bodied refugees and IDPs, 196380 of them or 65,2% of all working resources are out of work.

74 thousand of IDPs because of lack of the necessary conditions lived in tent towns; 99 thiusand in prefabricated houses settlements; 17,5 thousand in public buildings, schools, nusery schools and in hostels; 20,2 thousand at their relatives; the rest are in occupied flats; in unfinished buildings, farms; freight cars and barely on the edge of roads (1999).

Lack of normal heating, electric-power supply, hygiene and sanitary conditions pose a hazard to health of born children, their parents in such refugee's locations.

So, as a result of the aggression of Armenia more than 1 million in number became refugees and IDPs, 20 thousand perished, 50 thousand became the invalids, 5,1 thousand (according to June 1st, 1992) were taken hostage and were missing, natality in occupied territories fell to 22-26 in number (for every 1000 men).

Department of Economic and Social Geography of BSU 

The decree concerning the development of productive forces in the mountainous regions, including Daghlig Garabagh autonomous area was passed before the beginning Daghlig Garabagh conflict. There were intensive construction works going on in Daghlig Garabagh and the occupied regions at time of the beginning of the conflict. Large-scale enterprises were opened and new machinery and transport vehicles were delivered to the area. Large enterprises producing building materials and marble factory were also built in Daghlig Garabagh. The entire material-technical basis established for new construction projects was destroyed and none of the potential projects were implemented as a result of Armenian occupation.

The industries of the occupied areas played an important role in the economy of Azerbaijan. Food, light industry and building enterprises were strongly developed.

Large agricultural and natural resources produced the most positive impact upon the development of the foregoing branches.

Butter-cheese, wine making and partly light industries of great importance provided the population with food-stuffs and were the most developed than other industrial branches in occupied territory. Daghlig Garabagh Autonomous Region because of it industrial branches structure and the development level took the 4th place among the economical regions of former Azerbaijan SSR (Absheron, Ganja-Gazakh, Nakhichevan AR).

The industrial potential of the occupied regions was mainly concentrated in the area of Daghlig Garabagh Autonomous Region. Most of the industrial and building enterprises (137 enterprises) were located in this area. It produced 40% industrial product in the occupied areas and concentrated 18.7% of key assets. Fizuli and Agdam regions had 5% industrial product and 41% key assets. The place in industries and construction sector was occupied by Aghdam and Fizuli administrative regions (51% industrial product and 41% key assets). The industry of the remaining five administrative regions - Lachin, Kelbejer, Jabrail, Gubadly and Zangilan was too weak. 27% of common industrial products, 3,4% of key assets in 1988, in Azerbaijan formed a share of occupied regions.

The occupied regions had the following specific weights in the Azerbaijan SSR:

Materials for the walls building - 11,0%, building lime - 7,8%, building materials - 3,0%, shoe - 11,0%, meat - 5,0%, tinned foods - 6,9%, cow's milk - 25,2%, wine materials - 35%, raw silk - 13,5%, wool - 19,3% mineral water - 11,5% and etc.

Istisu and Turshsu mineral water-packing enterprises, Karabakh and Agdam marble, faced stone factories, high-quality and widely popular wines Agdam and other products of wine factories, butter-cheese enterprises, weaving mill, shoe factory, Karabakh silk Complex and others showed their activity in these regions. More than 50 branches of Baku enterprises remain in the occupied areas. In total, over 183 industrial and 127 construction enterprises are remaining in the region.

Communication objects: powerful communication lines and objects have been established in the region. 25,000 km of motor and country roads, 160 bridges with a total length of 3,984 m; electric lines with a total length of 14,500 km, 2,500 transformers, 2,300 km of water pipes, 2,000 km of gas pipes, 240 km of sewage lines, 160 water basins, more than 34 gas distribution stations and phone stations for 35,000 numbers were destroyed in the area.

At present, there are four airports, Baku-Agdam and Horadiz-Nakhchyvan gas pipelines and other strategic objects left in the occupied areas.

So, more than 310 industrial and building objects left in the occupied by Armenia regions. These objects gave 11,0% of wall materials, 11% of shoe production, 25,2% of cow' butter, 35% of wine materials, 13,5% raw silk, 15% of mineral waters and others produced in Azerbaijan.

Department of Economic and Social Geography of BSU 

Damages caused to agriculture of the region

The occupied areas of Daghlig Garabagh represented a large agricultural region within Azerbaijan. Suitable intermountain and foothill plains, plateaus and the occupied parts of the Minor Caucasus create the favorable conditions for development of plant-growing and cattle-breading fields. Grain-growing, fodder production, vine-growing, tobacco-growing, potato-growing, cotton-growing, dairy farming and meat farming, particularly sheep-breeding dominated in the agriculture.

Attention to vine-growing field of the Daghlig Garabagh, developed since ancient times, increased in 1970s. Large specialized sovkhoz-plants with modern techniques was established in connection with development of vine-growing and wine-growing. One of the new commodities in the region was tobacco-growing.

Numbers of agriculture enterprises, including kolkhozes, sovkhozes, agriculture unions and agro firms, operating in the occupied territories, stopped their activity in result of Armenian aggression (table 7).

Thus, 311 agriculture enterprises, 145 new established vine and wine sovkhozes, equipped with up-to-date technique and particularly Aghdam horse sovkhoz, bred well known Karabakh pedigree horses, 135 kolkhozes and 31 inter-economy enterprises were ruined in the occupied territories. 1365 trailer transports, 3425 different sowing and trailer tractors, grain and cotton combiners etc., presented material-technical base of agriculture and not available for farmer by their current prices remained in the occupied territories.

The agriculture enterprises and technique of the occupied territories 
(the data of 1988).

7296 hydraulic units, 36 pumping stations, 26 irrigation systems, 18 head plants of irrigation system, inter-economic irrigation channels of 1200 km, 5600 km intra-economic systems were destroyed, 127,7 thousand hectares fertile lands remained. Thousands of peoples were deprived of life source - land in the Caucasus region with insufficient lands.

Internal displaced persons, deprived of aforesaid agriculture technique, met with difficulties in the new regions, where they settled. They should rent agriculture techniques by high prices or use manual labor. All these complicated the daily life of refugees and internal displaced persons.

611,3 thousand internal displaced persons, exiled from occupied regions of the Daghlig Garabagh, are deprived of agricultural products, cultivated on the native lands. The plain territories, where IMPs settled, own other climate and agricultural products, cultivated appropriate to it. It is very difficult to grow such agricultural products in the new territories. Villager, bred cattle in the mountain territory of Kalbadjar, faced with great difficulties in cotton-growing of the Barda region, where they settled. Table 9 shows production of plant-growing and cattle-breeding in the occupied regions.

Eventually, 14,3% of grain, 31,5% of vine, 14,5% of meat, 17,1% of milk, 19,3 of wool and 17% of cocoon, produced in the Azerbaijan Republic, fell to the share of the occupied regions. Ecologically pure and qualitative products were produced in these regions.

The data on production of agriculture products in the occupied Daghlig Garabagh Autonomous Republic and adjacent regions of Azerbaijan (1988)

Armenian aggression caused more damage to the highly developed cattle-breeding fields of these regions. As Azerbaijan SSR directed great deal of means to the mountainous regions, decreased taxes, developed individual farms in order to catch up the backlog in these territories. All these measures leaded to development of cattle-breeding fields in the occupied mountainous regions.

Unexpected and consecutive occupation of Azerbaijan regions did not allow leading livestock out of war zone beforehand. Small groups of leaded out livestock died of starvation and thirsty on the way.

Number of the cattle in the regions occupied in 1988

Eventually, 311 agriculture enterprises, including 145 new vine-wine plants, 1365 automobiles, 3425 sowing and trailer tractors, 7296 hydraulic units, 62 water pumps and irrigation aggregates, 1200 inter-economic droves, 645,5 thousand hectares land fit for agriculture, 185,5 thousand hectares plough lands, 40 thousand hectares new vine plantations, beard fruit, were destroyed, annually on average 79,4 thousand ton grain, 20,5 thousand ton cotton, 324,3 thousand vine, 23,5 thousand ton potato and other plant products, 313,1 thousand heads of cattle, including 111,2 thousand heads of cow and buffalo, 1 million 98 thousand heads of sheep and goat, as well as 20 thousand ton meat, 75,5 thousand ton milk, 846 ton cattle-breeding products were lost in result of occupation of Azerbaijan territories since 1989.

Department of Economic and Social Geography of BSU

Vandalism acts

The conversations with Azerbaijan citizens, returned from the Armenian captivity, in the State Commission on prisoners of war, hostages and missings revealed that vandalism acts were committed by Armenians in the occupied Daghlig Garabagh and other adjacent regions, the houses were looted and burned, historical monuments, particularly cemeteries were destroyed. Labor of prisoners of war and hostages was used in looting of the occupied Azerbaijan regions, as well as destroying of houses, monuments, gravestones.

The fact of gravestone destroying in the Moslem cemeteries was confirmed in the explanation, addressed by Mammadov Vugar Yavar oglu, born in 1974 and taken captive in 1994-1996, to the State Commission on 02.09.2002. He writes: "They made us to pull down gravestones in the Moslem cemeteries in Shusha, conveyed them into other places and sold. All Moslem cemeteries of Shusha are destroyed. Armenians intended to destroy Shusha."

The application, addressed by Guliyev Panah Zakir oglu, taken captive in Chaytumas village, Gubadli, in July of 1993, to the State Commission on 19.07.2001, said that he was made to participate in puling down of construction materials in Aghdam town and black marble stones in the cemeteries along with other 7 prisoners of war and hostages.

The reference, drawn up during the conversation with Bagirov Sahib Garib oglu, born in 1975 and taken captive in 1995-1996s, on 14.12.2001, noted that during staying in the Shusha prison they were driven to the Agdam region and made to pull down stones of village houses to build house for Armenian militant Karo by name in Khankandi. S.Baghirov told that Armenians made them to pull down black marble stones in cemeteries and then sold them to Iran to buy potato instead of it. According to him prisoners of war were made to build house for Samvel Babayan in Shusha as well.

Rasul Nemat oglu Ramazanov, been in captivity in the regions Shusha, Khankandi and Khodjavand in 1993-1995s, notes in his explanation of 474/DK, addressed to the State Commission: "I witnessed puling down of valuable gravestones, ancient mausoleums of the Azerbaijan cemeteries during my captivity in Shusha. Besides, I saw destroying of ancient mosque as well. These materials were directly conveyed to Armenia by automobiles with Yerevan number plates. I also saw pulling down and conveying of the buildings in the Aghdam region along with aforesaid."

Kazimov Karim Avaz oglu, been in the Armenian captivity in 1993-1996s, wrote in his explanation of 474/DK, received by the State Commission on 30.06.2003, that he was made to work in pulling down of the valuable marble coverings in the mausoleum Molla Panah Vagif, gravestones of Ibrahim Khan, marbles on the floor of the mosque near the Shusha bath-house and headstones in the Shusha cemeteries. K.Kazimov said that Armenians settled in the museum house of Bulbul, pulled down his bust and marred up its surface. At the same time the bust of U.Hadjibayov was pulled down, thrown to the Automobile Park and humiliated. K.Kazimov noted that Iranians carried out construction works in the mosque near the market in Shusha and carved inscription in Persian on the front wall of the mosque.

According to the explanation of 220, written by Abdullayev Rovshan Abdulrahman oglu, born in 1973 and taken captive in 1993, on 09.04.2003, he worked in pulling down of the Azerbaijan cemeteries in Shusha along with other prisoners of war. R.Abdullayev informed that the cemeteries were completely destroyed and marble stones driven away.

Mammadov Valhad Adil oglu, been in the Armenian captivity in 1993-1996s, confirmed in his explanation of 474/DK on 30.06.2003 that prisoners of war participated in pulling down of historical monuments, belonged to Azerbaijanis. He wrote that the floor of the Shusha mosque was destroyed; shot bust of Bulbul was thrown to the court of the museum, marble flags around M.P.Vagif's statue were pulled down and Moslem cemeteries were demolished.

The explanation of 278, written by Vediyev Jamal Soltan oglu, born in 1958 and been in the Armenian captivity in 1993-1996s, on 01.03.2003 said: "We built a five-stored residential construction and a farm in Mismina village. We took construction materials from the house of the people left their native lands. During my detention in the Shusha prison I was in the cementers Shukuru, Aghagulu, Shusha and pulled down headstones; marble stones were taken away, others - thrown out."

Jafarov Mubariz Gara oglu, taken captive in 1993, noted in the explanation of 291 on 05.05.2003 that he witnessed destroying of headstones of the Shusha cemetery, houses and sport centers.

Abdullayev Yashar Abdali oglu, been in the Armenian captivity in 1989-1995s, confirmed in his explanation of 474/DK on 30.06.2003 aforesaid facts and added that Armenians replaced the rails by signs of cross form along the roads in Shusha.

Ganiyev Ariz Maharram oglu, taken captive in 1994, wrote in his explanation of 474 to the State Commission on 30.06.2003 that he worked in pulling down of gravestones of the Shusha cemeteries along with other prisoners of war and these stones were used in setting up of monument to Andranik in Shusha.

Former hostage Sariyev Ali Zohrab oglu noted in his explanation of 474 on 30.062003 that he also worked in the cemeteries in Aghdam and Shusha as other prisoners of war and hostages.

Former hostage Abbasov Natig Alish oglu wrote in the explanation of 474 on 30.06.2003 that gravestones, pulled down from the cemetery in the center of the Fuzuli region, were loaded on cars.

Former prisoner of war Gafarov Rauf Shamsaddin noted in his explanation of 295 on 05.052003 that prisoners of war were made to built hen and pig farms, forage stores, spring and basin in the Mismina village. R.Gafarov, mentioning that construction materials and marbles were brought from the Fuzuli region and prisoners of war participated in these works, writes: "When we were driven to Fuzuli to pull down houses we did not see any marble in the cemetery. Majority of graves was destroyed."

Radjabov Nail Lamik oglu, been in the Armenian captivity in 1998-2000s and held in the Shusha prison, told in the explanation of 474/DK on 30.06.2003 that during his detention in the town he witnessed destroying and burning of our historical monuments by Armenians. N.Radjabov, noting that the palace of Vagif, conservatory and Shusha bath-house were completely destroyed, wrote that valuable objects and art works were loaded on cars by Armenians and taken to Armenia. He also underlined that the Shusha cemetery was destroyed and head stones, pulled down from there, were placed in front of the residence of the Karabakh regime "leaders".

According to the explanation of 474/DK, written by Ismayilov Yunus Sudja oglu, held in the Armenian captivity in 1993-1996s, on 30.06.2003, he witnessed destroying of historical monuments by Armenians in Shusha. Y.Ismayilov wrote that M.P.Vagif's mausoleum, town mosque and other monuments were pulled down, valuable objects of the museum house of U.Hadjibayov were taken to Armenia and this building was used as dwelling house.

Idris Usubali oglu Mirzayev, been in the Armenian captivity in 1994-1996s, mentioned in the explanation of 474/DK that he saw Armenian soldiers and bearded men destroying the ancient mosque with 2 cupolas in Shusha. He confirmed usage of hostages and captives in looting and conveyance of dwelling houses, public buildings, schools and other building in the occupied territories. According to I.Mirzayev, Armenians looted the houses in Shusha, loaded the implements on cars and sent them to Armenia.

Mehdiyev Nazim Hafiz oglu, born 1976 and been in captivity in 1996-1997s, noted in the explanation of 299 on 06.05.2003 that during his detention in the Shusha prison the gravestones in the cemetery near the prison were demolished.

According to the explanation of 22.11.202, addressed by Mammadov Azar Zabit oglu, born in 1966, to the State Commission, they were made by Armenians to destroy houses in Shusha.

Alishanov Elmaddin Orudjali oglu, been in Armenian captivity in 1994-1995s, wrote in the explanation of 109 on 03.30.2002: " When I was in captivity Armenians of high rank made prisoners of war to work in pulling down and conveying of occupied regions, particularly Aghdam and Fuzuli. Then these special materials were sold to Iranians. Iranians loaded materials on their cars and drove away. Armenians cut down forests and took the wood to Armenia."

According to the proper reference, prisoner of war Mammadov Anar Zakir oglu, born in 1973, told in the conversation, conducted on 19.07.2002, that he and other prisoners of war were made to pull down newly built houses in Aghdam and load construction materials, sawn stones on cars.

Bayramov Aghagul Alahmad oglu, taken captive in the Fuzuli region, mentioned in the explanation of 19.06.2001 that during his detention in Khankandi he was used to pulling down of houses in Aghdam and their conveying to Khankandi.

The reference, received by the State Commission on 28.02.1994 in connection with conversation, conducted with Korotkov Alexander Diyanovich and Korotkov Gennadiy Alexandrovich, told that during occupation of Aghdam Armenians fired on the houses as they did not left the town. Armenians broke into the house of Korotkov and misappropriated products from the fridge, looted the neighbor houses and made sick Gennadiy to load them on cars.

The reference, drawn up concerning the conversation with resident of Aghdam town Shevelyov Vladimir Ivanovich, born in 1926, on 04.05.1994, told that he witnessed burning of his and his neighbors' houses on 22.07.1993.

Prisoner of war Mammadov Anar Zakir oglu, born in 1973, said the prisoners of war were made to gather sawn stones of pulled down house in Aghdam and load them on the automobile "Kamaz" with number plate 29-95 NKA.

The reference, received by the State Commission on 29.12.1999 in connection with the conversation, conducted with Murshudov Sadraddin Aslan oglu, born in 1978 and been in the Armenian captivity in 1997-1999s, noted that during his detention in Khankandi prison he and Safaraliyev Afgan Khanlar oglu were daily taken to Khodjali and Aghdam to load construction materials on cars, while prisoner of war Karimov Karim Avaz oglu, born in 1974, and other comrades - frequently.

The fact concerning destroying of Aghdam region was also confirmed in the reference, drawn up on 28.09.1994 in connection with the conversation, conducted with Mahmudov Mohlat Nariman oglu, born in 1967 and taken captive during Armenians' attack to Aghdam. According to M.Mahmudov, held in Khankandi military unit, labor of the prisoners of war was used in the in hacking and conveying of marble in the Gasimli quarry, Aghdam region, carrying of firewood, flour etc. According to his observation, none of buildings remained in Aghdam town except the mosque.

The fact concerning the usage of the prisoners of war and hostages in pulling down and looting of houses in the occupied territories was also confirmed by Aghdam resident Rzayev Balish Nabi oglu (the reference of 28.06.2002), born in 1921, prisoner of war Huseynov Javid Agha oglu (the reference of 14.07.1995), born in 1975, Aghdam resident Abbas Adil Asad oglu (the reference of 28.06.2002), born in 1958, prisoner of war Bayramov Shirin Alahmad oglu (19.06.2001), hostage Abutalibov Mikayil Musa oglu (the reference 04.01.2003), born in 1955, Kalbadjar resident Mammadov Jalal Ali oglu (the reference of 06.07.20010), born in 1957.

The reference of 11.12.1993, drawn up in connection with interrogation of Yusifov Sharif Gasim oglu, born in 1925 and taken captive during occupation of Gubadli town in August 1993, told that when he was taken from Gubadli to Khodjavand he witnessed burning of cars full of implements along the road, complete burning and destroying of Lachin town, razing of villages to the ground. Sh.Yusifov, taken into the Shusha prison some days later, saw pulling down and conveying of stones in the Moslem cemeteries.

The explanation of 28.06.2002, drawn up concerning conversation with prisoner of war Allahverdiyev Mulkadar Isa oglu, born in 1976, told that he was taken to Kalbadjar along with seven prisoners of war, loaded implements and construction materials on automobiles "Kamaz", conveyed them to Yansag village, where Armenians settled.

The reference of 08.04.1994, drawn up concerning the conversation with Jafarova Maryam Zinatovna, born in 1930, who taken captive during the occupation of Zangilan town and observed looting of the town for four days, said that she witnessed Armenians' looting and burning of flats, breaking of windows and doors. M.Jafarova met with 15-20 Armenian children of 14-15 years old and was beaten by them when she tried to gather her implements and left the town.

The reference of 18.02.2002, drawn up concerning the conversation with Ibishov Taleh Madat oglu, born in 1977, told that he witnessed during the occupation of the Lachin region how Armenians looted the houses in the Ashagi Seyidlar village and loaded everything on cars. T.Ibishov saw that their house was burnt.

The fact regarding burning of Lachin region was also confirmed in the reference of 05.06.1995, drawn up in connection with the conversation, conducted with Nagiyev Garay Muzaffar oglu, taken captive in 1992. During the conversation G.Nagiyev told that he saw Armenians burned Goydara village, Lachin region.

Ismayilov Mikayil Sevdimali oglu, born in 1961 in the Vaghaz village, Lachin region, and taken captive in his own house, wrote in his application of 26.07.2001 to the State Commission that Armenians, entering into the village on 24.05.1994, began to burn houses. Armenians, taking M.Ismayilov captive, walked over the occupied villages of Lachin, burned 80-90% of houses in all villages.

According to the reference of 10.01.19995, written in connection with conversation, conducted with Dostuyev Hasan Ganbar oglu, born in 1932 and taken captive during occupation of the Gubadli region in the Yusifbayli village, Armenians took him captive and got him on car "Kamaz", they drove over the village and burned attractive houses. Then Armenians burned unharmed houses in the Hamzali village.

Rustamov Bahadur Farhad oglu, the resident of Hadjilar village, Lachin region, noted in the explanation of 332 on 16.05.2003 when he went to the village with hope to see his native house in the occupied territory, he saw the house and the cemetery destroyed, the forest cut down.

Khodjali residents Guliyev Yagub Allahverdi oglu (the explanation of 25.10.2001), Nagiyev Huseyn Nehbud oglu, born in 1926, on 26.03.2001, Alakbarova Saida Gurban kizi (the reference, received by the State Commission concerning the conversation with her), born in 1963, noted that they witnessed burning of their houses in Khodjali.

Mammadova Guloysha Bakhtoyar kizi, born in 1956, confirmed these facts and told that Armenians looted the houses when they attacked the village.

The facts regarding pulling down of houses, gathering construction materials, involving prisoners of war and hostages in these works in Aghdam and other occupied Azerbaijan regions were confirmed

in the reference of 03.05.1996, received by the State Commission in connection with the conversation, conducted with Aliyev Fikrat Rahman oglu, born in 1968 and taken captive in the Fuzuli region,

in the reference of 10.09.1994, written concerning the conversation with prisoner of war Allahverdiyev Arzuman Mikayil oglu, born in 1973,

in the explanation of 27.11.2003, written by prisoner of war Mammadov Gadir Isagul oglu, born in 1963.

The fact, related with burning of the Gubadli region was also reflected in the reference of 20.04.1995, written in connection with the conversation, conducted with Ahmadov Idris Engels oglu, born in 1958. I.Ahmadov confirmed that Gulabird village, Lachin region, was burning when he was taken captive.

The reference, presented to the State Commission on 20.04.1995 in connection with the conversation, conducted with Aliyev Valeh Hasan oglu, born in Lachin in 1943, and Taleh Valeh oglu, born in 1981, said that they saw how Armenians burned neighbor house in the Alchali village, Lachin region, on 15.08.1993. During the conversation it was revealed that commander of military unit in the Edilli village Manvel Grigorian, the former driver and prisoner, made arrangement with solders and mechanism, taken in the occupied zones fell to his share, the rest to share of the soldiers.

The State Commission on prisoners of war,
hostages and missing persons

March 22, 2005 

The process of mediation efforts for the settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan within the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE)  has been ongoing since February 1992. At the Additional Meeting of the CSCE Council of Ministers, held in Helsinki on 24 March 1992, a decision was adopted to convene as soon as possible a conference on Nagorno-Karabakh in Minsk under the auspices of the CSCE to provide an ongoing forum for negotiations towards a peaceful settlement of the crisis on the basis of the principles, commitments and provisions of the CSCE. 

In general, the legal and political constituent for the settlement of the conflict is based on the norms and principles of international law, laid down in the UN Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 as well as in the appropriate documents and decisions of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other international organizations. As mentioned above, the UN Security Council resolutions were adopted in 1993 in response to the occupation of the territories of Azerbaijan and reaffirmed respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and inviolability of the international borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan and all other States in the region. The Council demanded immediate cessation of all hostile acts, immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of occupying forces from all occupied regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and called for the restoration of economic, transport and energy links in the region, ensuring the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homes. The UN Security Council also approved the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group towards achievement of the peaceful solution to the conflict and called for a search of ways to achieve conflict settlement within the OSCE Minsk process. None of these resolutions was implemented by Armenia. 

On 12 May 1994, a ceasefire was established. According to the decision taken at the CSCE Budapest Summit (5-6 December 1994), Heads of States and Governments of the CSCE participating States set up the institution of the Co-Chairmanship of the Minsk Conference for the coordination of all mediation efforts within the CSCE framework. The Budapest Summit tasked the CSCE Chairman-in-Office to conduct negotiations aimed at the conclusion of political agreement on the cessation of the armed conflict, the implementation of which will remove the consequences of the conflict and will allow for the convening of the Minsk Conference. The Summit also adopted a decision on the deployment of CSCE multinational peacekeeping forces after the achievement of the agreement between the Parties on the cessation of the armed conflict, and the establishment of the High Level Planning Group (HLPG) located in Vienna and aimed at the preparation of the peacekeeping operation. It superseded an earlier Initial Operation Planning Group (IOPG), which was established in May 1993.

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office issued on 23 March 1995 a mandate for the Co-Chairmen of the Minsk Process (DOC. 525/95). 

At the OSCE Lisbon Summit, which was held on 2-3 December 1996, the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group and the OSCE Chairman-in-Office recommended the principles, which should be the basis for the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. But Armenia did not accept these principles and was the only one out of 54 OSCE participating States not to support them. 

The OSCE Chairman-in-Office made a statement with the inclusion of those principles. They are as follows:

-  territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia and the Azerbaijan Republic;

- legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh defined in an agreement based on self-determination which   confers on Nagorno-Karabakh the highest degree of self-rule within Azerbaijan;

- guaranteed security for Nagorno-Karabakh and its whole population, including mutual obligations to ensure compliance by all the Parties with the provisions of the settlement.

After the Lisbon Summit the institution of the triple Co-Chairmanship, including Russia, France and the USA, was established in 1997 (since 1992 the Chairmen of the Minsk Conference were Italy in 1992-1993, Sweden in 1994, Russia and Finland in 1995-1996). In April 1997 the negotiations were suspended and substituted by visits of the Co-Chairmen to the region. On 1 June 1997, the Co-Chairmen presented a draft of a comprehensive agreement on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which consisted of the Agreement on the cessation of the armed conflict and the Agreement on the status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Despite the readiness of Azerbaijan to start constructive consultations on the essence of the mentioned documents, Armenia categorically rejected the proposed approach. 

On 19-23 September 1997, the Co-Chairmen, during their visit to the region, presented new proposals based on a “stage-by-stage” approach to the settlement, according to which it was planned at the first stage to liberate 6 occupied districts, to deploy the OSCE peacekeeping operation, to return the displaced persons to the liberated territories and to restore main communications in the conflict zone. At the second stage the problems of Lachyn and Shusha were to be solved and the main principles of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh were to be adopted. As a result, the OSCE Minsk Conference ought to be convened. On 10 October 1997, the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in their joint Statement in Strasbourg stated that “the recent proposals of the Co-Chairmen were a hopeful basis for the resumption of negotiations within the framework of the Minsk Group”. 

But after the resignation in February 1998 of Levon Ter-Petrossian, the President of Armenia, and with the coming to power in March 1998 of Robert Kocharian, the next visit of the Co-Chairmen to the region took place, when Armenia officially withdrew the consent to the proposals on the “stage-by-stage” settlement of the conflict. 

On 9 November 1998, the Co-Chairmen put forward proposals based on the concept of a “common State”. According to this concept, Nagorno-Karabakh would have the status of a State and a territorial unit in the form of a republic, which, together with Azerbaijan would constitute the common State within the internationally recognized borders of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan rejected those proposals since they violated its sovereignty and contradicted the Lisbon principles.  

In order to give additional impetus to the negotiations, direct talks between the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia on achieving conflict settlement began in April 1999.  

During their visit to the region in March 2002 the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen proposed to conduct negotiations at the level of special representatives of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia. The proposal was accepted by the heads of both states. On March 13-15 and July 29-30 2002, the two meetings of the special representatives of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan took place near Prague.  

In 2004, direct talks between the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan started within the so-called “Prague Process”.

On 25 January 2005 the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted its resolution 1416 titled “The conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Conference”. The Parliamentary Assembly reaffirmed the occupation of a considerable part of the territory of Azerbaijan and expressed its concern that the military action, and the widespread ethnic hostilities which preceded it, led to large-scale ethnic expulsion and the creation of mono-ethnic areas which resemble ethnic cleansing. The Assembly made it clear 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 and reaffirmed the right of displaced persons from the area of conflict to return to their homes safely and with dignity. The Assembly also recalled the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and urged the parties concerned to comply with them, in particular by withdrawing military forces from any occupied territories. 

In May 2006 for the first time since 1997, when the current format of the Co-Chairmanship of the Minsk Group was established, a joint Mission of Representatives of the Co-Chair countries at the Deputy Foreign Minister level traveled to the region in order to make clear to the Presidents of both countries that 2006 was the necessary window of opportunity for reaching an agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh. 

According to the Co-Chairmen report of 22 June 2006 in Vienna, a set of core principles had been proposed to Presidents Aliyev and Kocharian. They clarified that their approach was not aimed at solving all aspects of the conflict in one phase. Instead, according to the Co-Chairmen, their principles sought to achieve a major degree of progress, but deferred some very difficult issues to the future and envisioned further negotiations. 

Nevertheless, the Co-Chairmen stated that since the two Presidents failed to agree, they had reached the limits of their creativity in the identification, formulation, and finalization of these principles. They made clear that if the two sides are unable to agree on those principles, which have been put forward, it is now contingent upon the parties themselves to work together to reach an alternative agreement that both find acceptable. The Co-Chairmen pointed out that they see no point right now in continuing intensive shuttle diplomacy and in initiating further presidential meetings. 

In response to the statement of the Minsk Group Co-Chairmen and comments made on that by the Armenian side, which has traditionally attempted to distort the reality of the process of negotiations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan clarified, inter alia, that definition of the legal status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan is impossible under the conditions of continuing occupation and ethnic cleansing and, accordingly, envisages liberation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, demilitarization of the whole conflict zone, provision of appropriate international security guarantees therein and the return of the forcibly displaced population of Azerbaijan. 

The Azerbaijani side once again reaffirmed its readiness to grant Nagorno-Karabakh the highest status of self-rule within the internationally-recognized territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and based on its Constitution. 

The Ministry also pointed out that with the aim of establishing inter-communal harmony, as well as creating objective conditions for defining the region’s status, and also taking into consideration the perspective of the region’s further development, Azerbaijan would be prepared to review, in conformity with the precedents existing in international practice, implementation of a complex of economic and other incentives for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh after the restoration of its ethnic composition as of the pre-conflict period. 

Along with that, the Ministry reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s adherence to continuing talks to achieve lasting and fair peace in the region. 

On 13 July 2007, the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group issued a statement in which they provided an assessment of the emerging situation in the settlement process for the conflict in light of the meeting between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharian in St. Petersburg on 9 June 2007. The Co-Chairmen stated that during the meeting the Presidents concentrated their discussion on a limited number of obstacles that stand in the way of agreement on a set of “basic principles” for the peaceful settlement of the conflict. The Co-Chairmen in their statement took note of the initiative to organize a joint visit to Yerevan, Baku and Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan of a group of intellectuals from Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Co-Chairmen welcomed and highly appreciated that event, which they consider as a first concrete confidence-building measure. 

On 2 November 2008, the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation signed a Declaration in Moscow. The Declaration states that “the settlement of the conflict should be based on the norms and principles of the international law and the decisions and documents approved within this framework”, which includes among others the UN Security Council Resolutions of 1993 as well as the UN General Assembly Resolutions of 2006 and 2008. It also declares that the settlement of the conflict based on the norms and principles of international law will create favorable conditions for economic growth and all-round cooperation in the region. Thus, the document brings to naught the speculations by Armenia on priority of regional cooperation before the final settlement of the conflict and elimination of its main consequences.  

In 2009, the negotiations on the settlement of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan became more intensive. Six meetings between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan and three meetings at the level of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs were held with the participation of the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group.  

During the meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan held on 22 November 2009 in Munich, the sides achieved some progress in drawing their positions closer on several issues.  

In the framework of the 17th OSCE Ministerial Council held in Athens on 1-2 December 2009, the representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries – Foreign Ministers of Russia and France and the US Deputy Secretary of State made a joint statement. In addition, the OSCE Ministerial Council adopted a Statement on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The aforementioned statements refer to basic principles envisaged in the Moscow Declaration and the Helsinki Final Act as important elements of the conflict settlement process.  

Negotiations on settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict based on international norms and principles within the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan continued to be conducted during 2010. Negotiations carried out throughout the year were based on the updated Madrid principles presented by the Minsk Group co-chairmen in December 2009.  

In the negotiations Azerbaijan’s position consisted of recovering territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country, withdrawal of the occupant forces from the occupied territories, returning of the IDP to their homes, providing peaceful living together for Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, reconstruction of the destroyed territories and opening communications and in the next stage defining the status of MG/NK region with participation of both communities within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.  

In 2010 three meetings were held between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the President of the Republic of Armenia - on 25 June in Sochi and 17 June in Saints Petersburg and on 27 October in Astrakhan, with mediation of Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.  

As a result of the final talks the two sides adopted joint statement on returning corpses of hostages and prisoners of war, as well as people died as a result of violation of cease-fire with the mediation of OSCE Minsk Group and the International Red Cross Society. Returning the corpses of Mubariz Ibrahimov, National Hero of Azerbaijan and the martyr Farid Ahmadov and burying them in their motherland was achieved as an outcome of the talks.  

Throughout 2010, the five meetings were held in total (on 17 July in Almaty, on 6 November in Moscow, on 19 November in Lisbon, on 22 November and 22 December in Moscow). One of the significant steps taken in the way to agreeing on regulation principals of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict was the joint statement by the heads of OSCE Minsk group co-chair states in Muskoka city in Canada on 26 June of the mentioned year. In the mentioned Statement the heads of states mentioned the importance of step-by-step resolution model which considers liberating the occupied territories, returning refugee and IDP to their home lands and other principals. 

On 19-20 November 2010 at the final Declaration of NATO Summit held in Lisbon territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of regional countries, including Azerbaijan was supported and was called upon to solve the regional conflicts considering these principals. 

Simultaneously, within this joint statement adopted by the heads of delegations of the OSCE Minsk group co-chair states and by the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, significance of resolution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict based on the principals adopted within the framework of OSCE Minsk group G-8 Summit held in Italy in 2009 and in Canada in 2010 was noted once again.   

Upon the request of the Republic of Azerbaijan, concerned about continued illegal activities perpetrated by the Republic of Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, including the illegal settlement practices, economic exploitation and devastation of these territories, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs conducted a Field Assessment Mission (FAM) to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan surrounding its Nagorno-Karabakh region from October 7-12 2010, with the aim to assess the overall situation there. The FAM revealed once again the continued policy of illegal settlement of ethnic Armenians in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan as well as infrastructure changes and economic activities conducted in these territories in violation of Forth Geneva Convention and additional Protocols relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949, to which Armenia joined in 1993. The major statement of the FAM in its report prepared after the visit was that the status quo in the occupied territories is unacceptable and Armenia should put an end to its illegal practices continuing in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. 

In 2011, the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia held two meetings at the invitation of the President of the Russian Federation, H.E. D.Medvedev: on March 5, in Sochi and on June 24, in Kazan. The meetings were concluded without any result. The main reason of the failure was an obstinate and destructive stance of Armenia, which is still aiming to consolidate the current status quo and impose finally a fait accompli situation. Furthermore, on September 29, President Ilham Aliyev had a meeting in Warsaw with OSCE Minsk group co-chairs and the personal representative of current OSCE secretary-general. 

In 2012, the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia held a meeting at the invitation of the President of the Russian Federation, D.Medvedev: on January 23, in Sochi. A joint statement was adopted which supported OSCE Minsk group co-chairs’ activity till the peaceful resolution of the conflict and stability is achieved in the region. Moreover, in the Chicago Summit Declaration (Article # 47), issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Chicago on 20 May 2012, territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Azerbaijan was supported and peaceful settlement of the conflict based upon these principles was urged.   

Time has passed but Azerbaijan maintains its interest, motivation and patience in this very hard process of negotiations. It seems that hardness of these talks has nothing in common with objective criteria and reasons but more caused by factors of subjectivity and internal political difficulties inside Armenia. Azerbaijan believes that the international community will not allow the Armenian side to further abuse the right of Azerbaijani nation to live within its own territory including its Nagorno-Karabakh region. 

Negotiations chronology between Azerbaijan and Armenia

1992 

International mediation on the settlement of the conflict started in 1992 in the framework of the so- called OSCE Minsk Group process which is the only forum on the formation of the comprehensive model for the settlement of Armenian- Azerbaijani conflict. 

The OSCE Minsk Group has been formed to take a political decision concerning this problem. It is a forum for the preparation of Minsk Conference. 

1993 

Following the military operations and the seizure of Azerbaijani cities, the UN Security Council adopted resolutions Nr 822, 853, 854, 884 which provide that Armenian military units should be withdrawn from the territory of Azerbaijan immediately and unconditionally, and the refugees and displaced persons should be able to return home.

 The main milestones in the negotiations were OSCE Budapest and Lisbon Summits. 

1994 

The OSCE Budapest Summit of 1994 took a decision to form an institute of co-chairmen of Minsk conference and entrust them with the duty “to conduct negotiations in order to conclude political agreement on the termination of the armed conflict (Great political agreement), the realization of which will eliminate the main consequences of the armed conflict for all sides and will permit to call Minsk conference”. 

Thus, Budapest Summit determined the two-phase structure of the settlement process:

1. the first stage - elimination of the consequences of the armed conflict; it means total liberation of all occupied territories and return of all displaced persons to their permanent places of living;
2. the second stage - comprehensive peaceful settlement will be achieved following Minsk conference. 

Budapest Summit also reached a decision on conducting OCSE peacekeeping operation after concluding the political agreement. Following Budapest Summit the co-chairmen (Russia-Finland) organized and conducted 16 rounds of talks and numerous consultations with the participants of the conflict. 

In that period of time they reconciled about 75% of the text of the draft of the Agreement and its Addenda. However, as far as the matters of principle are concerned - total liberation of all occupied territories including Shusha and Lachin regions, security for all the participants of the conflict and the withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the territory of Azerbaijan - the agreement hasn’t been reached. 

1996 

In his statement at Lisbon Summit in 1996 the president of the OSCE, set up three principles for the settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.

They are:

- Territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.

- Legal status of Nagorny Karabakh determined in the agreement and based on the self- determination which grants Nagorny Karabakh the highest degree of self-government within Azerbaijan.

- Security guarantees to Nagorny Karabakh and all its population including mutual obligations to observe the settlement provisions by all parties. 

These principles were supported by 53 OSCE member states, except Armenia. 

In November 1996 Armenia unilaterally broke off direct consultations between the Presidential Advisers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. 

1997 

After Lisbon Summit and the establishment of the institution of triple Co-chairmanship (Russia- France-USA) the only one round of talks held in April 1997 was open-ended. 

In June-September 1997 the Co-chairmanship prepared and brought before the parties a new document which specified a two-stage settlement of the conflict according to the following scheme:

- the first stage - the liberation of the 6 regions occupied during the conflict outside the former NKAR (except Lachin region), return the civilians to their homes and reconstruction of the main communications in the region;

- the second stage - the settlement of the dispute around Lachin and Shusha regions and adoption of the main principles for the status of Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The complete comprehensive settlement of the conflict including the Agreement on the self- government status of Nagorny Karabakh within Azerbaijan will be reached at Minsk conference. 

In September 1997 Azerbaijan officially informed the Co-chairmanship of the adoption of the document as a basis for the subsequent negotiations. 

In October 1997 in Strasbourg the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia made a joint statement about their readiness to start negotiations on the basis of the proposals made by the Co-chairmen. 

In December 1997 in Copenhagen the session of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs OSCE circulated the Report of the Co-chairmen which stressed the need to continue the efforts aimed at the settlement of the conflict on the basis of Lisbon principles and the proposals of the Co-chairmanship. 

1998 

On May 13-17, 1998 during the visit of the Co-chairmen to the region, Armenia officially declared the recall of the consent of the former President of Armenia to the proposals on the phased settlement and spoke for the “package” settlement without any preconditions. 

Armenia strongly objects to the principles of Lisbon Summit and seeks the discussion of the status of Nagorny Karabakh as an independent state. 

1999 

On April 2, 1999, a meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia during the CIS Summit in Moscow was held at which an agreement was reached on undertaking a series of meetings for discussing the problems of the peaceful settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. 

An exchange of views and positions of the parties was continues at the meetings of the presidents on April 24 in Washington, on August 16 and 22 in Geneva, on September 10 in Yalta and on October 11 in the village of Sadarak. During the meetings an agreement was reached on the consultations between MFA and MoD of Azerbaijan and Armenia on the problems of enforcement of the cease-fire rejime, confidence-building measures, procedures of preventing and settlement of the border incidents, as well as the development of the agreed basis for the resumption of the negotiations process within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. As an implementation of the agreement meetings and consultations of defence ministers (September 14 and October 11) and of foreign ministers (Seprtember 10, September 30 and October 12) of Azerbaijan and Armenia were held. 

On September 18, 1999, during the visit of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office K. Vollebaek to Baku it was declared that the meetings and consultations of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia did not substitute the OSCE Minsk process and the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group was called to speed up their activities and make a new proposal acceptable to both parties. 

On November 18-19, 1999, in the Final Document of the OSCE Istanbul Summit and in the report of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office it was once again underlined that the Minsk Group was the most suitable format for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh problem, the continuation of the dialogue of two presidents which is to complement the Minsk process was welcomed, and the parties were called to resume as soon as possible the negotiations on the conflict settlement. The European Security Charter was adopted at the OSCE Istanbul Summit. It is a legally-binding document that confirms the OSCE principles and norms and the resulting commitments of the states on the observance of the sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

On December 13-15, 1999, the first visit of new Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group to the region was held. The Co-Chairmen of the Minsk Group declared that they would begin the work on new proposals that would be based on the elements on which the agreement had been reached at the meetings of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia. In its actiities on the settlement of the conflict the Co- Chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group will pay a considerable attention to the economic development of the region. On this purpose the Co-Chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group expressed their intention to appeal to the world financial institutions, public and non-governmental organizations to send experts to the region in order to carry out the works on estimating the costs of the reconstruction of the region. 

2000 

On January 24, 2000, during the Summit of the CIS member-states in Moscow a separate meeting of the presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia, and on January 25 a quadripartite meeting with the participation of presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and the Acting President of the Russian Federation V. Putin were held. Consultations between presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia were resumde during the meetings and it was declared that the policy of the "Four" in the region will be based on the principles of the international law and, first of all, on the absolute acknowledgement of the principle of territorial integrity of the sovereign states. 

On January 28, 2000, at the World Economic Forum in Davos the consultations between presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia on searching the ways of peacefull settlement of the conflict. The foreign ministers of the two countries took part in the meeting.

On July 20, 2000, during the Summit of the CIS member-states in Moscow a quadripartite meeting with the participation of the presidents of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and the Russian Federation was held. The questions of peaceful settlement of conflicts in South Caucasus, the problem of consolidation of regional security, including the cooperation in the struggle against international terrorism as well as in humanitarian and other fields. The text of joint statement signed as a result of the meeting of three presidents was also circulated. The statement says that the sides expressed their adherence to the continuation of meetings in this format, welcomed the initiative of the world community and international organisations, which assist the acceleration of settlement of conflicts in South Caucasus. Heads of states agreed that such meetings will be held not less than two times a year and as a rule will be held during CIS summits.

On July 2-5, 2000, the visit by the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group to the region was held. In their activities on the settlement of the conflict a great attention was paid to the economic development of the region. With this aim the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group appealed to the world financial institutes, social non-governmental organisations to send experts to the region to estimate the possibilities of its economic reconstruction. During the visit, the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group made a statement that they would search the methods of modifying the plan of the Karabakh conflict settlement. 

On November 30, 2000 in Minsk during the Summit of the heads of the countries of CIS the bilateral meeting of the President of Azerbaijan H. Aliyev and of Armenia R. Kocharyan took place. After the ending of the meeting the President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev declared that he was satisfied on the whole with last negotiations. The President H. Aliyev justified his satisfaction by unofficial feature of the meeting but that the Presidents of these two countries are in the process of the search of the ways of the solution of Nagorniy Karabakh problem. As the President of Armenia R. Kocharyan noticed in his turn, the agreement about the intensification of the meetings was achieved at the meeting. 

2001 

On January 25, 2001 in Paris negotiations of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan Robert Kocharyan and Heydar Aliyev in the presence of the President of Republic of France Jacques Chiraq. In the briefing after the negotiations, which took place in Paris in Yelisey Palace in the presence of the President of the Republic of France Jacques Chiraq, the President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan noticed, that "the complete solution of the problem was maybe achieved at the attraction to the negotiations of the representatives of Nagorniy Karabakh". The President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev said in his turn that "as soon as we come to something concrete at the bilateral negotiations with the leader of Armenia, perhaps the third part may appear ". Both Presidents characterized their bilateral negotiations in Paris as "rather positive", having informed, that they outlined the plan of the following meeting in the very near future. 

May 31, 2001 - At the CIS Summit in Minsk the trilateral meeting among President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev, President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan and President of Russia Vladimir Putin was held. During the meeting the three presidents discussed the problem of the peaceful settlement of Armenian- Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 

August 1, 2001 - At the informal Summit of the CIS countries in Sochi President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev and President of Armenia Robert Kocharyan held a bilateral meeting. During the meeting they had a wide discussion on the problem of the peaceful settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. 

Currently the Co-Chairs are pursuing their objective to present a compromise settlement plan to the conflict based on the principles of international law. 

2002 

March 8 - In search of the advancing the peace process, the Co-chairmen suggested to appoint Special Representatives of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia for negotiations on the conflict. The Special Representatives met three times during a year, twice in Prague - in May and July and once in Vienna - in November; 

July 12 - In the final document of the EU-Azerbaijan Cooperation Committee, the EU reaffirmed its support to the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan as the basis for the peaceful solution of the conflict; 

August 2 - The EU condemned holding of the so-called "presidential elections" in Nagorno- Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

2003 

January 23 - An Enlarged Bureau of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers held a special session in Strasburg on the fulfillment of the obligations undertaken by Azerbaijan and Armenia to peacefully settle the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. 

January 30 - The Secretary General of the Council of Europe voiced regret at the recent declaration on "ethnic incompatibility between Armenians and Azerbaijanis", made by President Kocharian of Armenia.

"Recalling dark pages of European history will never be a good electoral strategy", underlined Walter Schwimmer in reference to the upcoming presidential elections in Armenia, scheduled for 19 February. 

February 19 - March 5 The presidential elections in Armenia. 

first round - second round R. Kocharyan was elected as the president of the Republic of Armenia for his second term. The observers of OSCE/ODIHR, CE Parliamentary Assembly reported that the elections were held with serious irregularities. 

June 19 - The coalition government of Armenia submitted its action plan for the next four years to the parliament. The section "Defense and Security" of this program states that, "as in previous years, the government sees the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem within peace negotiation process, emphasizing international recognition of the right of the "Artsakh" (Nagorno-Karabakh) people to self- determination and security guarantees of the population of the "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic". The very possibility of subordination of the "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic" to Azerbaijan is ruled out." 

During the presentation of the program, the Armenian Prime Minister A.Markaryan, speaking about the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, said: "Karabakh must not be part of Azerbaijan, must have a common border with Armenia and that the self-determination of the Karabakh Armenians must be recognized by the world". 

August 19 - During monitoring held by the Office of Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office on the Armenia-Azerbaijan border in the Tovuz region of Azerbaijan the Armenian side again broke ceasefire regime, as a result of which the monitoring process was immediately stopped. Unfortunately, the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprczyk refused to mention this fact in his information report. 

September - Co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group from Russia N.Gribkov was replaced by Y.Merzlyakov. During his visit to the region he held series of meetings with Azerbaijani officials on September 3-5. 

October 15 - The presidential elections in Azerbaijan.

Ilham Aliyev was elected as the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan for his first term. 

December 11 - The first meeting of the President of Azerbaijan Mr. I.Aliyev with his Armenian counterpart in Geneva. 

2004 

April 16 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Cochairmen in Prague. 

April 28-30 - The meeting of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Warsaw. 

May 12-13 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Cochairmen in Strasbourg. 

June 21 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Cochairmen in Prague. 

June 28/29 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with the presence of the Turkish Foreign Minister Mr. Abdullah Gul in Istanbul 

August 3-12 - Command staff exercises conducted by Armenian armed forces in the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan in its statement drew the attention of the international community to the fact that conducting of these exercises is another obvious evidence of the aggression by the Republic of Armenia against the Republic of Azerbaijan, and of occupation of its territories. 

August 8 - "elections" to the "local self-government bodies" were held by the authorities of the Armenian separatist regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. 

In the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan it was noted that such kind of "elections" may not pretend to have a single piece of legitimacy because they are in complete contradiction with the norms of international law, as well as with the national legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, since they are being held in conditions of continuing aggression, occupation and forceful expulsion of one third of the indigenous population of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Azerbaijani origin. 

August 30 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Cochairmen in Prague. 

September 15 - The meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan within the CIS Summit in Astana. The President of Armenia Robert Kocharian requested to delay the following Prague meeting (25th of October 2004) of the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia for need to analyze and comprehend the results of the previous four meetings of Foreign Ministers.

October 14 - Azerbaijan requested the inclusion of an additional item in the agenda of the fifty- ninth session of the UN General Assembly, entitled "The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan". 

October 29 - Acting on the recommendations of its General Committee, the UN General Assembly decided to include an additional item on its current agenda entitled "The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan". It took that decision by a recorded vote of 43 in favour to 1 against (Armenia) with 99 abstentions. 

November 19 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Berlin. 

November 23 - Additional item #163 "The situation in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan" was debated on the 59th session of UN General Assembly. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan gave a speech concerning the content of the additional item and illegal activities of Armenia in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. 

December 5 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Cochairmen in Sofia. 

December 6-7 - The meeting of the 12th OSCE Ministerial Council in Sofia. The adoption of the Ministerial Council statement on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which "commend the progress achieved in the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in 2004, in particular, the three meetings of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan under the auspices of the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group and welcome the creation of the so-called "Prague Process", through which four meetings between the Foreign Ministers of both countries allowed the methodical re-examination of all the parameters of a future settlement". 

December 9 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels in the framework of NATO EAPC Ministerial. 

2005 

January 11 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmen in Prague. 

January 25 - Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution 1416. The resolution reaffirms "that independence and secession of a regional territory from a state may only be achieved through a lawful and peaceful process based on democratic support by the inhabitants of such territory and not in the wake of an armed conflict leading to ethnic expulsion and the de facto annexation of such territory to another state." The Assembly calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to make use OSCE Minsk Process and actively submit to each other via the Minsk Group their constructive proposals for the peaceful settlement of the conflict. David Atkinson, special PACE Rapporteur on Nagorno-Karabakh, the author of the resolution and recommendations, responding to the question of the BBC correspondent on the principle of territorial integrity vs. the principle of self-determination in resolution of the conflict, stated that principle of self-determination can not be applied to the case of Nagorno-Karabakh, because Azerbaijan stands for its territorial integrity, recognized by international community. 

January 30 - February 5 - The visit by the "OSCE Minsk Group Fact-Finding Mission on Settlements in the Occupied Territories of Azerbaijan" to the occupied territories - Aghdam, Jabrayil, Fizuli, Zangilan, Gubadly, Kalbajar and Lachin - of Azerbaijan. 

February - The OSCE dispatch Fact-Finding Mission to investigate the Armenian illegal settlements in the occupied Azerbaijani territories. 

March 2 - The meeting of the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan with the OSCE Minsk Group Co- chairs in Prague. 

The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs officially presented a report of the OSCE Minsk Group Fact- Finding Mission (FFM). In their joint statement Co-Chairs pointed that "the mission found evidence of the presence of settlers in the territories examined" and recommended "that any further settlement of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan should be discouraged". They urged "the parties to accelerate negotiations toward a political settlement in order, inter alia, to address the problem of the settlers and to avoid changes in the demographic structure of the region, which would make more difficult any future efforts to achieve a negotiated settlement". In his comments Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammedyarov considered the FFM report as objective in general. The FFM determined about 16,000 settlers in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan outside the Nagorno-Karabakh region. "It is clear that the longer they remain in the occupied territories, the deeper their roots and attachments to their present places of residence will become. Prolonged continuation of this situation could lead to a fait accompli that would seriously complicate the peace process" said Co-Chairs' statement. 

April 15 - Continuation of "Prague process" in London. Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan and Armenia met separately with the Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group to discuss further steps to resolve the conflict. The mediators - France, Russia and the US declared that the peace process has entered a "sensitive juncture, where a first step towards an agreement could be at hand in the framework of the discussions between the parties." 

April 27 - The meeting of the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan with the OSCE Minsk Group Co- chairs in Frankfurt. 

In the threshold of the Council of Europe's Summit in Warsaw Presidents Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Robert Kocharyan of Armenia met at the Belvedere palace in the presence of the OSCE Minsk group Co-chairs, and Foreign Ministers Sergey Lavrov of Russia and Michel Barnier of France. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov has briefed journalists on the three-hour meeting. "Despite certain progress has been reached, there is still a need for further discussion," he said. The Minister added that after the meeting the Presidents have assigned the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia to continue negotiating some important issues other than those agreed within the Prague process. According to him, the Co-chairs will also continue their activities. "Generally, no format of the talks but their result is important for Azerbaijan, in other words, territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored," the Minister said. 

June 17 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs in Paris. 

June 19 - "Elections" to the "parliament" were held by the authorities of the Armenian separatist regime in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. 

In its statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan noted that such kind of "elections" may not pretend to have a single piece of legitimacy because they are in complete contradiction with the norms of international law, as well as with the national legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, since they are being held in conditions of continuing aggression, occupation and ethnic cleansing. It states that such activities by Armenian side do not fit with the spirit of negotiation process, esp. when there is a hope for positive step forwards and that continuous peace cannot be achieved without normalization of life and peaceful co-existence and cooperation of Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

July 5 - The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly considered a report on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict at its session held in Washington. The report prepared by the Assembly's special envoy on the conflict Goran Lennmarker from Sweden. In his comments Mr. Lennmarker stressed that "the conflict is not frozen. Several people are killed along the line-of-contact every year". He added: "there is no alternative to a peaceful solution - in fact there is an urgent need to solve the conflict in order to end the personal, economic, and social suffering on both sides of this conflict". Mr. Lennmarker suggested basing a solution on experiences from Europe, where democracy and integration are fundamental components in securing a lasting peace. The report points out the fundamentals of ending of occupation, the return of refugees and IDPs as well as democracy and minority rights. Swedish diplomat recommends autonomy solution referring to an example of the Aland islands. 

July 10-12 - The OSCE Group Co-Chairs (Ambassadors Steven Mann of the U.S., Yuriy Merzlyakov of Russia and Bernard Fassier of France) visited Azerbaijan and Armenia. In Azerbaijan they met with President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov as well as with Nizami Bakhmanov, the head of the expelled Azerbaijani community from the occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. The Co-chairs told journalists at a press conference on July 12 that they discussed with President and Foreign Minister the principles, which could have become a basis for the future peace treaty. Mediators pointed out that much would depend on the two leaderships' political will and the peoples' desire. 

During the meetings Co-Chairs discussed, among other issues, an Azerbaijani initiative to open a road network Agdam-Khankendi-Shusha-Lachin-Goris-Nakhichevan which would open communication line from Azerbaijan to Armenia and Nakhichevan enclave of Azerbaijan as well as Turkey. Nizami Bkhamanov positively responded to an idea of launching a dialogue between Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Deputy Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Araz Azimov commented Co-Chairs' meetings in Baku as "effective and fruitful." But he said that "negotiations were rather difficult and complicated." "I can't say that agreements have been reached. At all the meetings Azerbaijan has demonstrated a constructive position. Armenia also should occupy a constructive position, otherwise all opportunities will be missed," said Azimov. Azimov pointed out that Armenia tries to bring "new elements," which are not subject of the negotiations. "There are great chances to achieve peace right now and the opposing party can lose them. I urge Armenia to use this chance," said Azimov. "Azerbaijani occupied territories must be given back. Armenia must not claim to Azerbaijani territories under the pretext of the corridor (linking Armenia with Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan). Armenia can use the road passing through the Lachin corridor. But Lachin city cannot remain under occupation." 

Opening of Agdam-Khankendi-Shusha-Lachin-Goris-Nakhichevan road will help to improve relationships and restore cooperation and confidence between people, said Azimov. He also stressed that the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region could be resolved only through joint efforts of Armenian and Azerbaijani communities of Nagorno-Karabakh. "At present, part of people living in Nagorno Karabakh is Armenians, who arrived from abroad. Local Armenians are Azerbaijani citizens and Azerbaijanis must determine their status by themselves. For this purpose Azerbaijani population must return to the liberated territories and economic relationships and mutual confidence must be restored," said Azimov. 

August 12 - In its Address to the voters, the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan notified of the start of functioning of Khankendi Constituency No. 122 and called all citizens of Azerbaijan of Armenian origin living in Khankendi, Shusha, Khojali, Khojavend and other settlements of Nagorno Karabakh regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan, together with their countrymen to exercise their voting rights in Khankendi Constituency No. 122 and Shusha-Fuzuli-Khojali-Khojavend Constituency No. 124. 

August 24 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs in Moscow. 

August 26-27 - The meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan within the CIS Summit in Kazan. 

September 12 - The item entitled "The situation on the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan" was included into the agenda of the 60-th session of the UN General Assembly. On the same day the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe held discussion on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict in Paris. The PACE decided to follow further the process of honouring by two sides the decisions contained in the January 2005 PACE resolution on the conflict settlement. 

September 14 - An international organization - International Crisis Group (ICG) working to prevent conflicts worldwide has issued report on Armenia-Azerbaijani conflict. ICG vice-president Alain Deletroz told at news conference in Baku that Armenia should not insist on the determination of the status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, as disputes over the issue have considerably delayed the conflict resolution. "Armenia must withdraw from seven occupied Azerbaijani districts, refugees should return home, trust be restored between the two sides, and at last, the Karabakh status determined." Deletroz said that the activities to be carried out prior to the status determination will take at least 15-20 years. Deletroz said that just like all other international organizations, the ICG considers the Nagorno- Karabakh a part of Azerbaijan. "This is the legal aspect of the issue and there is no problem with it. The problem is that the Nagorno-Karabakh is de-facto in the hands of Armenians." The ICG project director on South Caucasus Sabin Frasier said the organization has welcomed the resumption of activity of the Khankandi district constituency in the Nagorno-Karabakh, which will allow ethnic Armenian citizens of Azerbaijan to vote in the November parliament elections in Azerbaijan. 

December 5 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs in Ljubljana within the framework of the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting. 

December 5-6 - The meeting of the 13th OSCE Ministerial Council in Ljubljana. The adoption of the Ministerial Council statement on the conflict dealt with by the OSCE Minsk Group, which "takes note with satisfaction of the progress in the Nagorno-Karabakh negotiations through the "Prague Process" in 2005, and in particular the two meetings of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Warsaw and Kazan under the auspices of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, and encourages the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan to use the current promising window of opportunity in order to attain within the coming year significant achievements in the settlement of the conflict in the framework of the OSCE Minsk process." 

December 16 - The visit of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to Azerbaijan. 

December 16-20 - The reconnaissance trip of the High-Level Planning Group (HLPG) of the OSCE to Azerbaijan. 

2006 

January 18-19 - The meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan with participation of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs in London. 

January 20-27 - The reconnaissance trip of the High-Level Planning Group (HLPG) of the OSCE to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. 

February 1 - The visit of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to Azerbaijan. 

In May - for the first time since 1997, when the current format of the Co-Chairmanship of the Minsk Group was established, a joint Mission of Representatives of the Co-Chair countries at the Deputy Foreign Minister level traveled to the region in order to make clear to the Presidents of both countries that 2006 was the necessary window of opportunity for reaching an agreement on Nagorno-Karabakh. 

June 22 - According to the Co-Chairmen report of 2006 in Vienna, a set of core principles had been proposed to Presidents Aliyev and Kocharian. They clarified that their approach was not aimed at solving all aspects of the conflict in one phase. Instead, in the words of the Co-Chairmen, their principles sought to achieve a major degree of progress, but deferred some very difficult issues to the future and envisioned further negotiations. 

Nevertheless, the Co-Chairmen stated that since the two Presidents failed to agree, they had reached the limits of their creativity in the identification, formulation, and finalization of these principles. They made clear that if the two sides are unable to agree on those principles, which have been put forward, it is now contingent upon the parties themselves to work together to reach an alternative agreement that both find acceptable. The Co-Chairmen pointed out that they see no point right now in continuing intensive shuttle diplomacy and in initiating further presidential meetings. 

In response to the statement of the Minsk Group Co-Chairmen and comments made on that by the Armenian side, which has traditionally attempted to distort the reality of the process of negotiations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan clarified, inter alia, that definition of the legal status of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan is impossible under the conditions of continuing occupation and ethnic cleansing and, accordingly, envisages liberation of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, demilitarization of the whole conflict zone, provision of appropriate international security guarantees therein and the return of the forcibly displaced population of Azerbaijan. 

The Azerbaijani side once again reaffirmed its readiness to grant Nagorno-Karabakh the highest status of self-rule within the internationally-recognized territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and based on its Constitution. 

The Ministry also pointed out that with the aim of establishing inter-communal harmony, as well as creating objective conditions for defining the region’s status, and also taking into consideration the perspective of the region’s further development, Azerbaijan would be prepared to review, in conformity with the precedents existing in international practice, implementation of a complex of economic and other incentives for the population of Nagorno-Karabakh after the restoration of its ethnic composition as of the pre-conflict period. 

Along with that, the Ministry reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s adherence to continuing talks to achieve lasting and fair peace in the region. 

2007 

July 13 - the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group issued a statement in which they provided an assessment of the emerging situation in the settlement process for the conflict in light of the meeting between the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the President of the Republic of Armenia Robert Kocharian in St. Petersburg on 9 June 2007. The Co-Chairmen stated that during the meeting the Presidents concentrated their discussion on a limited number of obstacles that stand in the way of agreement on a set of “basic principles” for the peaceful settlement of the conflict. The Co- Chairmen in their statement took note of the initiative to organize a joint visit to Yerevan, Baku and Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan of a group of intellectuals from Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Co-Chairmen welcomed and highly appreciated that event, which they consider as a first concrete confidence-building measure. 

2008 

November 2, - the Presidents of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation signed a Declaration in Moscow. The Declaration states that “the settlement of the conflict should be based on the norms and principles of the international law and the decisions and documents approved within this framework”, which includes among others the UN Security Council Resolutions of 1993 as well as the UN General Assembly Resolutions of 2006 and 2008. It also declares that the settlement of the conflict based on the norms and principles of international law will create favorable conditions for economic growth and all-round cooperation in the region. Thus, the document brings to naught the speculations by Armenia on priority of regional cooperation before the final settlement of the conflict and elimination of its main consequences. 

2009 

In 2009 the negotiations on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict became more intensive. Six meetings between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan and three meetings at the level of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs were held with the participation of the Co-Chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group. 

November 22, - During the meeting between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan held on in Munich, the sides achieved some progress in drawing their positions closer on several issues. 

1-2 December - the framework of the 17th OSCE Ministerial Council held in Athens, the representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair Countries - Foreign Ministers of Russia and France and the US Deputy Secretary of State made a joint statement. In addition, the OSCE Ministerial Council adopted a Statement on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The aforementioned statements refer to basic principles envisaged in the Moscow Declaration and the Helsinki Final Act as important elements of the conflict settlement process. 

2010 

20 april - President Ilham Aliyev received the U.S. Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group Robert Bradtke. Exchange of ideas around the current state and prospects of peace talks to resolve the Armenian- Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh took place during the meeting. President Ilham Aliyev received also outgoing Russian Co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group, Yuriy Merzlyakov. Yuriy Merzlyakov introduced the newly appointed Russian co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, Igor Popov, to the President. The peace process of Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was discussed during the meeting. 

17 june - President Ilham Aliyev received Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Ambassadors Robert Bradtke of the United States, Bernard Fassier of France and Igor Popov of Russia, as well as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk at a special designated residence in Saint-Petersburg. 

The meeting focused on the current state and prospects of the talks on settlement of the Armenia- Azerbaijan, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. 

17 june - President Ilham Aliyev, President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan held a joint meeting at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Saint Petersburg. 

2011 

In 2011, the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia held two meetings at the invitation of the President of the Russian Federation, H.E. D.Medvedev: on March 5, in Sochi and on June 24, in Kazan. The meetings were concluded without any result. The main reason of the failure was an obstinate and destructive stance of Armenia, which is still aiming to consolidate the current status quo and impose finally a fait accompli situation. Furthermore, on September 29, President Ilham Aliyev had a meeting in Warsaw with OSCE Minsk group co-chairs and the personal representative of current OSCE secretary-general.  

2012  

In 2012, the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Armenia held a meeting at the invitation of the President of the Russian Federation, D.Medvedev: on January 23, in Sochi. A joint statement was adopted which supported OSCE Minsk group co-chairs’ activity till the peaceful resolution of the conflict and stability is achieved in the region. Moreover, in the Chicago Summit Declaration (Article # 47), issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in Chicago on 20 May 2012, territorial integrity, independence, and sovereignty of Azerbaijan was supported and peaceful settlement of the conflict based upon these principles was urged.  

Armenian terrorist organizations

Scientific researches show that Armenian terror being part of international terror is more than 100 years. That is, radical Armenian organizations that aimed to establish “Greater Armenia” – “Armenakan” founded in 1887, then “Hnchak and “Dashnaksyutun” parties used political terrorist acts widely in order to fulfill this plan.

Armenian terrorist organizations:

“Armenakan” party: was founded in 1885. This party perpetrated armed conflicts and terrorist acts in Van, Mush, Bitlis, Trabzon regions of Turkey and in Istanbul and was in collaboration with Armenians living in Iran and Russia.

“Hnchak” party: was founded in 1887 in Geneva. The main aim of the organization was to establish “Greater Armenia” by joining Anadolu territory of Turkey, areas they called “Russia” and “Iran” Armenia. It was mentioned in the 4th section of the program of the party: “The method of propaganda, agitation, terrorism and formation of ruinous organization should be chosen in order to achieve an object”.

“Dashnaksyutun” – Armenian federative revolution party: was founded in 1890 in Tbilisi. The main purpose was to establish “Greater Armenia” in Nagorno-Karabakh, Nakhchivan areas of Azerbaijan and Anadolu region of Turkey. “Dashnaksyutun” held its first congress in 1892 in Tbilisi and issued an order to organize an attempt on Turks. After this congress “Dashnaksyutun” gave an order “to kill Turks, Kurds everywhere, in every condition, kill and revenge those who retracts his/her word, and Armenian traitors”. There were several terrorist groups formed by “Dashnaksyutun” party: “Avengers of “Armenian genocide” group that started its activity in 1973, killed Turkish diplomats in Austria, Denmark and Portages during 1980-82 years; Secret terrorist group DRO and its divisions: DRO-8, DRO-88, DRO-888, DRO-8888. Their terrorist activity still goes on.

“Armenian Secret Liberation Army” (ASOA): was founded in Beirut in 1975. Headquarters was located in Damask. It had more than one thousand soldiers, training in military basis of Palestine. The organization committed terrorist acts that caused the death of 19 Turkish diplomats in different countries of the world during first 6 years of its activity.

“Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia” (ASALA): the headquarters of the organization that was found in 1975 was in Beirut, training basis in Syria. The aim of the organization was to establish “Greater Armenia” that would include Eastern Turkey, Northern Iran, and Nakhchivan and Nagorno-Karabakh territories of Azerbaijan. This organization committed terrorist acts mainly against citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan. The main figure in collaboration with terrorist groups such as “Abu Nidal”, “Black September” was the leader of ASALA – Akop Akopyan. A.Akopyan (“Mujahid”) who assumed the responsibility for the death of Turkish ambassador that was killed in 1980 in Athena noted during interview to “New-York Times” on 01.08.80: “Our enemy is Turkish regime, NATO and Armenians who don’t collaborate with us”. A.Akopyan was killed in Athena. ASALA came to an agreement with PKK about committing combined terrorist acts in 1980 and officialized this intention. ASALA mentioned in their declaration made on 28.08.1993 in Beirut that they would not allow the fulfillment of the project connected with “Pan-Turkish oil pipe” (Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan ).

“Geqaron”: was founded by ASALA in February of 2001. The aim was to perpetrate terrorist acts against political leaders, diplomats and businessmen of Turkish origin in Southern Caucasus and Middle Asia.

“Armenian Liberation Movement” (AOD): was founded in France in 1991. Committed its terrorist acts in close relation with ASALA.

“The Armenian Liberation Front”: was founded in 1979 and was part of ASALA. The organization used to train terrorists against Turkey and Azerbaijan.

“The Orli Group”: was founded by Armenian youth living in France. The organization committed more than 10 terrorist acts in different airports of the world until 1987.

“The Armenian Genocide Justice Commandoes”: was founded in vena during the congress of the Dashnaksyutun Party in 1972. The main aim of “The Armenian Genocide Justice Commandoes” was to assemble the Lebanon citizens of Armenian origin in military groupings and to organize bloody terrorist acts against Turks and Azerbaijanians.

“The Armenian Union”: was founded in Moscow in 1988. It had close relationship with ASALA, provided terrorists with forged documents for their activity in the former soviet territory and took part in conveying of arms and mercenaries to Karabakh.

“Young Armenians Union”: The organization that was in charge of kidnap of diplomats was founded in 1990 in France.

“The Group of 9 June”: The organization that was trying to free Armenian terrorists was founded in Sweden in 1991.

“Sweden Group”: The organization that acted in most countries of Europe, assumed the responsibility of 4 terrorist acts in France, Italy and Greece.

“Diplomatic Front” Acted in USA, Canada and Western Europe. The main aim was to collapse Turkish State.

“Suicide Squadron”: Was founded in France in 1981. In the same year this organization participated in the occupation of Head Consulate of Turkey in France, at the result 4 members of the group at the same time former leader of Yan Kashkayan were arrested.

“Apostol”: was founded by the Armenian Defence Union, mainly consisted of the Armenia, Syria and Lebanon citizens on April 19, 2001. The aim of the organization is to perpetrate terrorist acts in the territories of Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Armenian terrorist organizations

Scientific researches show that Armenian terror being part of international terror is more than 100 years. That is, radical Armenian organizations that aimed to establish “Greater Armenia” – “Armenakan” founded in 1887, then “Hnchak and “Dashnaksyutun” parties used political terrorist acts widely in order to fulfill this plan.

Armenian terrorist organizations:

“Armenakan” party: was founded in 1885. This party perpetrated armed conflicts and terrorist acts in Van, Mush, Bitlis, Trabzon regions of Turkey and in Istanbul and was in collaboration with Armenians living in Iran and Russia.

“Hnchak” party: was founded in 1887 in Geneva. The main aim of the organization was to establish “Greater Armenia” by joining Anadolu territory of Turkey, areas they called “Russia” and “Iran” Armenia. It was mentioned in the 4th section of the program of the party: “The method of propaganda, agitation, terrorism and formation of ruinous organization should be chosen in order to achieve an object”.

“Dashnaksyutun” – Armenian federative revolution party: was founded in 1890 in Tbilisi. The main purpose was to establish “Greater Armenia” in Nagorno-Karabakh, Nakhchivan areas of Azerbaijan and Anadolu region of Turkey. “Dashnaksyutun” held its first congress in 1892 in Tbilisi and issued an order to organize an attempt on Turks. After this congress “Dashnaksyutun” gave an order “to kill Turks, Kurds everywhere, in every condition, kill and revenge those who retracts his/her word, and Armenian traitors”. There were several terrorist groups formed by “Dashnaksyutun” party: “Avengers of “Armenian genocide” group that started its activity in 1973, killed Turkish diplomats in Austria, Denmark and Portages during 1980-82 years; Secret terrorist group DRO and its divisions: DRO-8, DRO-88, DRO-888, DRO-8888. Their terrorist activity still goes on.

“Armenian Secret Liberation Army” (ASOA): was founded in Beirut in 1975. Headquarters was located in Damask. It had more than one thousand soldiers, training in military basis of Palestine. The organization committed terrorist acts that caused the death of 19 Turkish diplomats in different countries of the world during first 6 years of its activity.

“Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia” (ASALA): the headquarters of the organization that was found in 1975 was in Beirut, training basis in Syria. The aim of the organization was to establish “Greater Armenia” that would include Eastern Turkey, Northern Iran, and Nakhchivan and Nagorno-Karabakh territories of Azerbaijan. This organization committed terrorist acts mainly against citizens of Turkey and Azerbaijan. The main figure in collaboration with terrorist groups such as “Abu Nidal”, “Black September” was the leader of ASALA – Akop Akopyan. A.Akopyan (“Mujahid”) who assumed the responsibility for the death of Turkish ambassador that was killed in 1980 in Athena noted during interview to “New-York Times” on 01.08.80: “Our enemy is Turkish regime, NATO and Armenians who don’t collaborate with us”. A.Akopyan was killed in Athena. ASALA came to an agreement with PKK about committing combined terrorist acts in 1980 and officialized this intention. ASALA mentioned in their declaration made on 28.08.1993 in Beirut that they would not allow the fulfillment of the project connected with “Pan-Turkish oil pipe” (Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan ).

“Geqaron”: was founded by ASALA in February of 2001. The aim was to perpetrate terrorist acts against political leaders, diplomats and businessmen of Turkish origin in Southern Caucasus and Middle Asia.

“Armenian Liberation Movement” (AOD): was founded in France in 1991. Committed its terrorist acts in close relation with ASALA.

“The Armenian Liberation Front”: was founded in 1979 and was part of ASALA. The organization used to train terrorists against Turkey and Azerbaijan.

“The Orli Group”: was founded by Armenian youth living in France. The organization committed more than 10 terrorist acts in different airports of the world until 1987.

“The Armenian Genocide Justice Commandoes”: was founded in vena during the congress of the Dashnaksyutun Party in 1972. The main aim of “The Armenian Genocide Justice Commandoes” was to assemble the Lebanon citizens of Armenian origin in military groupings and to organize bloody terrorist acts against Turks and Azerbaijanians.

“The Armenian Union”: was founded in Moscow in 1988. It had close relationship with ASALA, provided terrorists with forged documents for their activity in the former soviet territory and took part in conveying of arms and mercenaries to Karabakh.

“Young Armenians Union”: The organization that was in charge of kidnap of diplomats was founded in 1990 in France.

“The Group of 9 June”: The organization that was trying to free Armenian terrorists was founded in Sweden in 1991.

“Sweden Group”: The organization that acted in most countries of Europe, assumed the responsibility of 4 terrorist acts in France, Italy and Greece.

“Diplomatic Front” Acted in USA, Canada and Western Europe. The main aim was to collapse Turkish State.

“Suicide Squadron”: Was founded in France in 1981. In the same year this organization participated in the occupation of Head Consulate of Turkey in France, at the result 4 members of the group at the same time former leader of Yan Kashkayan were arrested.

“Apostol”: was founded by the Armenian Defence Union, mainly consisted of the Armenia, Syria and Lebanon citizens on April 19, 2001. The aim of the organization is to perpetrate terrorist acts in the territories of Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Eye witnesses report

Elshad Allahverdi Agayev:
After the seizure of Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 I had to leave the town with my family. But during the skirmish we lost each other. Later I began to look for them but could find only my sister Durdana wounded in her leg in the place called Garagaya in the Aghdam district.

On 26 February 1992, at about 8.00-9.00 a.m., the Armenians opened fire, and we tried to escape and hide in the trench towards Garagaya along with 5-6 men, but were surrounded and captured. Abusing and beating us with the barrels of machine guns, pieces of wood and iron they forced us to walk by foot to the highway in Askeran. The Armenians were throwing stones, pieces of wood and shooting over our heads. They were beating and torturing me and my sister Durdana for about thirty minutes, and after that they brought us to the isolator of the Askeran Police Department and threw to the cell full of people. Here they tortured us more cruelly. Tortures were led by Karo, an Armenian who was the head of the Fire Prevention Division at that Department. Karo with the other Armenians in military uniform were beating people in the cells with batons, barrels of machine guns, pieces of wood and iron, dragging women by hair to the corridors, raping and then throwing to separate cells.

On 26 February 1992, at about 12.00-13.00 a.m., 7-8 drunk Armenians in military uniform entered the cell and began to beat Zulfi, Elkhan, Nasib, Khagani and 30-40 inhabitants of Khojaly and the Garadagli village, whose names I can’t remember now. One Armenian hit my mouth with the barrel of AKM machine gun and torn my upper lip. I have a scar left as a result of that injury. The inhabitant of Khojaly, tractor driver Huseyn, went mad after being beaten by the Armenians, he was laughing all the time and that’s why they killed him there. When the Armenians found out that the other inhabitant of Khojaly Elkhan was “Alazan” rifleman, they cut his belly with a knife and took him somewhere. Later we heard that Elkhan had died from the received injuries. They took young boy Khagani somewhere, and we haven’t heard anything about him since then. They took machine-gunner Natig somewhere too.

I remember that on 27 February 1992 I was brought to the cell of that Department. Here the Armenians, following Karo’s instructions, undressed people and began to beat them with pieces of iron until they lost consciousness. That night they were beating me too, but before they started I saw that they had brought into the cell a young boy Mobil who had worked at the bread shop in Khojaly. Karo wounded Mobil’s leg from the fire-arm and he fell down. Then they began to beat him. I don’t know what happened to him later. I think they killed him.

The Armenians by pincers tore the beard from the one side of Ilgar’s face, leaving the other hairy, and then began to mock and abuse him. Following Karo’s instructions, they did not give us bread and water.

On 1 March 1992 Karo shot Shahmali’s son Faiq in the yard of that Police Department for not naming Ganja as “Kirovabad”. I didn’t see it by myself, but I learnt that from the inhabitants of Khojaly whose names I can’t remember now. I heard Faiq’s screams while Karo and his assistants were torturing him in the adjacent cell. He was a very brave man. He abused the Armenians for their cruelty, and they began to torture him more severely.
In March 1992 they put me, my sister Durdana and two 12-13- years-old girls from Khojaly, whom I did not know, in UAZ car and brought us to the Azerbaijan side.

Yashar Shahmali Alimammadov:
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992, after the seizure of Khojaly, I had to leave the town with my wife Saida, six-years-old son Siraj, my father Shahmali, my cousin Saadat and other relatives. On 27 February 1992, at about 10.00-11.00 a.m., an armed Armenians surrounded and captured us near the Pirjamal village. They put sacks on our heads and brought somewhere in a car. When they took sacks away we found ourselves in the stable where cattle, donkeys and sheep were kept. There I saw about 200-300 inhabitants of Khojaly, including women and elderly, as well as my son, my father-in-law Jamil, my brother Faiq and the others. Then they brought my brother Namiq. The Armenians took money, gold, jewelry and other valuable things away from people, put them in a big pot and said that for them they would buy weapons and kill Azerbaijanis.

That day, at 16:00 p.m., about 20 bearded men in both civil and military uniforms entered the stable with pieces of reinforcing steel, wood and machine guns, divided us into several groups and began to beat cruelly by hitting our heads, backs and legs. They were pushing people one to another. There were people with broken ribs, teeth and injured heads. By pincers they also pulled out golden teeth. They hit me in my nose with a barrel of machine gun and broke it. I lost consciousness because of pain and, after coming to senses, could not see for a while. After beating us cruelly and threatening with the fire-arms, they made us stand on one foot for hours and eat soil and cattle dung.

On 1 March 1992 they brought us to the Askeran Police Department where we were met by police officer Karo who had worked there as the head of the Fire Prevention Division. Karo told me that I would die. They gathered us in the temporary cell and began to search us. Karo ordered me, Isa and Elkhan to stay in the cell and sent the others out. When my son started to cry wishing to stay with me, he cruelly beat him. He knocked me down by blowing with a barrel of pistol and ordered about 10-12 bearded Armenians to beat me with a baton. I lost consciousness because of these blows. When I came to senses, Elkhan told me that they had been blowing me with a baton for more than 50 times, and even when I had lost consciousness. Early in the morning on 2 March 1992 they released us.

After returning from captivity, I heard from Khojaly inhabitants Valeh, my uncle Mammad, Jamil, Janan (now dead), Ilgar, Ilham (now dead), Durdana (she worked as the telephone operator at the Khojaly post office), and his brother Elshad, who were taken hostage at the Askeran Police Department, what had happened with Faiq. Thus, according to them, Karo asked my brother Faiq where he had studied. After he answered “in Ganja”, Karo ordered to name it “Kirovabad”, but Faiq again repeated “Ganja”. Then Karo asked Faiq: “To whom does Karabakh belong?”, and Faig answered: “Karabakh belongs to us”. After that Karo took his gun out and shot at his chest and throat in the yard of the Police Department and thus killed him.

At present I am the second group invalid because of the injuries received in the captivity.

Zulfu Ibrahim Mammadov:
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 the Armenians surrounded and shelled Khojaly town. With my family we tried to break out of the encirclement, but the Armenians captured us and put into the cell. There were more than 25 of my countrymen. The Armenians tortured and beat us every day; some of us were killed, shot and beheaded. I remember the following:

1. Fakhraddin Bahadir Salimov, born in 1960 - one Armenian killed him hitting his head with a barrel of machine gun.
2. Elkhan Nasib, born in 1962 - the Armenians took him from the cell and shot.
3. Mobil, born in 1968 - the Armenians killed him cruelly by kicking and beating with batons and barrels of machine gun.
4. 55-years-old Huseyn (his mother’s name was Marish) - the Armenians took him from our cell to the adjacent one, began to beat him cruelly and then shot.
5. Vidadi, born in 1965, and Murvat, born in 1974 - after taking away from the cell the Armenians beheaded them.
6. My neighbor Faiq Shahmali, born in 1969 - was shot by Armenian captain Karo.

At the time we were in Khojaly Karo was known as a hangman. He was the head of the Fire Prevention Division. He was tall, broad-shouldered and had black moustache.

Ilgar Niyaz Abishov:
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 Armenians surrounded and shelled Khojaly. We were on duty that time. During the exchange of fire with the Armenians my cousin Elshad was shot in his head. My mother, four brothers, my aunt’s grandsons Zahir, Elmar, his son Klos, Mobil, Guleysha and I were surrounded near the Askeran district. We were brought to the Askeran Police Department, and when we tried to escape they had shot my aunt’s grandson from behind. They tortured us by kicking and beating with batons and barrels of machine guns. A police officer Karo tortured me severely. Natiq, Mehman and Arif were there at the time we were brought. They were also subjected to tortures. About 8 days later they brought us to the place called Gala and cruelly beat us again. There were Mirza, Yunus, Huseyn, Ibrahim, Ali, my brothers Ilham and Saadat, and 2 men from Garadagli. They exchanged us with the help of Allahverdi Bagirov.

Mammad Jumshud Mammadov:
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992, after the seizure of Khojaly by the Armenians, I had to flee away with the inhabitants of the town. With Janan Orujov, Faig Alimammadov, Kamil Mammadov, Kamal, Isa, Ilgar Abishov, Yashar Alimammadov, Mahammad Mammadov, and a group of people, whose names I forgot, we hid in the forest and stayed there till 28 February 1992. That night the Armenians captured me and brought to the farm in Nakhchevanik. There I learnt that they had killed Mammad after capturing him and that the other hostages were kept there. Karo Babayan headed those who captured us. He was the head of the Fire Prevention Division and a police captain. He tortured people who were held there. There were women and children among us. On 14 March 1992 they gathered 21 hostages in the room of the passport office of the Askeran Police Department. The Armenians from Karo’s group were beating us in that room. Later on that day they brought us back to the Azerbaijani side. Before exchanging us Karo Babayan killed Faiq Alimammadov in the yard of the Department. My brother Jamil Jumshud Mammadov can confirm this.

Valeh Sahib Huseynov:
Seeing the seizure of Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992, at about 23.00 p.m., with my wife Saadat, my uncle Zakariyya Guliyev, his wife Shura, their sons Akbar, Taleh, their grandchildren Sevinj and Samir we began to flee to Askeran. When we reached the space between Shelli and Dahra the Armenians surrounded us and opened the fire. We tried to hide fleeing away in different directions. Then we lost each other. When I reached Shelli I could find my wife among those who had escaped and returned to the place where she had hidden. There were Salim, Durdana, Saida, Elshad and about 13-14 inhabitants of Khojaly, whose names I can’t remember now. When all our bullets were over, the Armenians captured us. My wife died as a result of the bullet wound. On 26 February 1992 they brought us to Askeran. On our way they were pushing us into the cold water of the Gargar river. They placed us in the Askeran Police Department with 13-14 people at about 10.00 a.m. There they separated women from men and began to beat. I remember Elkhan, Natiq, Salim, Vasif (now dead), Ilgar, Saadat (now dead), Intizam and Mehman, who were kept in my cell. About 15-20 hostages were kept in each cell. That evening Karo, who was the head of the Fire Prevention Division at that the Police Department and led other bearded Armenians, ordered to threw Elkhan, Salim, Huseyn, Natiq and me to the cell and cruelly beat us striking with barrels of machine guns, legs of chairs and batons. Cries were heard from the adjacent cells as well. Thus we realized that the Armenians were beating, raping and abusing women kept there. On 28 February 1992, at about 16.00-17.00 p.m., they took me and Elkhan to the cell that was designed for Karo’s tortures and pulled my nail out of the thumb and then broke my fingers. During the torture I was loosing consciousness for several times. On 1 March Karo and some other bearded Armenians entered the cell and beat everybody. Following Karo’s instructions, one Armenian thrust his knife into Elkhan’s chest but not very deep, so Elkhan did not die. Two hours later Karo took Elkhan, Natiq and 2 persons (I can’t remember their names) somewhere and I don’t know what happened to them afterwards. Then I learnt that Karo took Salim, Huseyn, Araz, Vasif from the cell and shot. That day at about 20.00 – 21.00 p.m., when he took us to beat again, he shot a person whose name was Faiq. On 22 March 1992, they brought me back to the Azerbaijani side and exchanged for 3 Armenians.

Yusif Museyib Karimov:
Before 25 February 1992 I lived in Khojaly with my family - my wife Iltima Mohterem Karimova, son Algayit, and daughters Aynura, Aygun and Yegana.
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 Khojaly was seized. That moment I was on duty standing with machine gun near the railway. I did not see my family when I returned home. I went in the direction of the Gargar river, near which I saw my family and about 20-25 inhabitants of the town, mainly women and children. At that moment the Armenians surrounded us and opened the fire. I fired as well, but as the barrel of the machine gun had been overheated and smashed to pieces I threw it to the river. The Armenians wounded me in my right thigh and captured us. They were bearded, I didn’t know their names, and among them were several Russians. Cruelly beating us with barrels of machine guns and pieces of wood they made us go on foot and gathered in the shop in Khojaly. They also brought others there. There were about 30 people. I remember Huseyn Sariyev, Hasan Hasanov, Alasgar, Shargiyya, and her daughters Alima and Irada.

On 26 February 1992, they put us in the bus and brought to the school for dumb in Khankendi. We were terribly tortured by the Armenians, whose names I didn’t know. One Armenian tore my forehead by beating with a barrel of the machine gun. They undressed Irada, 24-years-old daughter of Shargiyya, raped her and began to beat. The Armenians also raped my wife Iltima Karimova, cut her long hair to make her look ugly. As the Armenians struck my 6- and 7-years-old children against the concrete floor, they still suffer from headaches.

Then the Armenians separated me from the women, threw to the cellar and subjected to terrible tortures. My left four ribs were fractured as a result of blows. One Armenian thrust a knife into my left shoulder and pulled it out of my bosom, fired a piece of paper and burned my hair and then threw me back to the cell. There I saw my wife, children and other men and women bleeding and moaning.

On 5 March 1992, they separated me from my family, and along with Huseyn and Elbrus brought to the Khankendi police isolator. Here we were beaten by Agajanyan, the head of the Askeran Police Department. Before our eyes they killed the son of Khojaly inhabitant Mammadali. A week later they brought other inhabitants of Khojaly Ganahat, Alif Hajiyev’s father Latif Mammadov, Gayim, Gadim, Kamil Huseynov, Abulfat, Ali and his son Nabi. They tortured us there too.

On 16 April 1992, they brought me and Kamil to the place called Khanbagi in Khankendi, where the Armenians along with the Russian soldiers were beating, humiliating and torturing us for 5 days.

On 20 April 1992 they brought us to Yerevan, and after that to Goris and Megri. There they kept us in the cellar where we were regularly beaten and abused.

On 24 July 1992 they brought me and Kamil Huseynov to the Gubadly district and released us. They exchanged my family members in May.

Because of the injuries I received during the captivity, I have a very bad sight and now undergo medical treatment at the Institute of Eye Diseases.

Besides all my property was steeled by the Armenians.

Sahida Gurban Alakbarova:
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 the town of Khojaly was exposed to fire opened from 3 directions. We had to leave the town. The Armenians took us hostage along with 9 people in the area called Garagaya and brought to the Askeran Police Department. They took all our documents, money and jewelry on the way there. There were about 70 women and children. The Armenians took young girls and tortured them. One day they wanted to take my 6-years-old daughter. I didn’t let them take her and so they began to torture me. That day my mother was killed for her faith. My sisters Makhmar Huseynova and Mahbuba Abishova, her son Chingiz and daughter Chinara, my brother-in-law Sohrab are still missing. Along with 70 other people we were exchanged for two Armenian corpses. As a result of the seizure of the town, our house and all our property were plundered by the Armenians.

Adila Ali Nacafova:
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 the Armenians seized Khojaly, and so we were forced to leave the town. There were about 150-200 people among us. We fled to the forest. About 200 armed Armenians were shooting at us, and there were Russian soldiers among them as well. After the heavy fire approximately 20 of 150-200 people survived. The Armenians took away our money and jewelry, by pincers pulled out golden teeth, scratched women’s ears and took their earrings. My father’s and my gold teeth were pulled out as well. They cruelly murdered our neighbor Jalal’s wife, daughter, son and his fiancée. They tied a man whose name was Mushfig to the car and dragged him on the ground before our eyes. His face was injured and arms fractured. His own father could not recognize his corpse. We were severely beaten several times a day. Among the Armenians there was a woman whose name was Janna, and she tortured us as well. They did not even let us eat snow.

Vugar Ali Nacafov:
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 the Armenians seized Khojaly at about 23.00 p.m. At that time we were on duty. After they surrounded us and we made an attempt to escape trying to move towards Aghdam. There were 60-70 people of us, only 20-30 people survived. Armenians gathered us in the house and began to torture. There was a Meskhetian Turk from Uzbekistan among us whose name was Ahmed. They tied his hands and legs and beheaded him. Then they took me to Khankandi. There they threw me to the cellar, tied my hands and started to beat until I lost consciousness. They heated a knife and branded my legs. There are numerous scars from knife wounds on my body. After that they forced me to drink yellow medicine. Now I know what a medicine it was. I have been married for 9 years but I still don’t have children. Having tortured many young Azerbaijanis like me, they made us miserable for lifetime. As a result of all these tortures, I suffer from nervous disorder, my kidneys are often aching, I can hardly stand on my feet. Our house, property, jewelry and money were plundered by the Armenians.

Etibar Ali Nacafov:
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992, at about 22.00 p.m., the Armenians attacked Khojaly. At that time we were on duty. Early in the morning at about 4.00-5.00 a.m. the Armenians fired at us from the tank. As I was seriously wounded, I lost consciousness. When I came to senses I saw that the fire was ceased. The Armenians captured me along with the other inhabitants of Khojaly and brought to the isolator in Khankendi, where we were severely tortured. Although my left leg was seriously wounded, they broke my right leg striking it with one metre long iron. By pincers they pulled out golden teeth of a man whose name was Alasgar. He could not stand tortures and died that night.

Many people were dying there being unable to stand tortures. As a result of the seizure of the town, our house, jewelry, money, all our property were plundered by the Armenians.

Ramil Bilman Alakbarov:
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 I left my home town of Khojaly with my parents. That time I was 12 years old. We left the town and fled to the forest where we stayed for 6 days. The Armenians surrounded us and began to shoot. I was wounded in my left leg. There I saw with my own eyes that the Armenians shot 16 young people and dropped them into the well drill with the tractor. When we wanted to flee to Aghdam the Armenians caught us and cruelly beat my father. They took our jewelry and money. Then they brought us to the farm located in the Aghdam district and kept there for 3 days. As my leg was seriously wounded, my parents tied it with the string trying to stop bleeding. The Armenians were severely beating the hostages kept there. In 3 days they released us. After returning from captivity I was treated in the Aghdam hospital, and there are 12 stitches left on my leg. Now I suffer from these injuries. I still can’t normally walk. My father suffers from kidney and liver diseases as a result of the tortures he was exposed to during captivity.

Asya Mushur Bidzinova:
I had lived in Uzbekistan before. We found refuge in Azerbaijan and were settled in Khojaly. Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 the Armenians seized Khojaly. The people began to flee to the forest. We hid in the basement of our house. The Armenians got into this basement and began to shoot. My husband was also there and died because of shots. When I wanted to come up to him the Armenians hit my back with a barrel of machine gun. There is a scar left on my body. They took 64 people, among which were little children, to Khankendi and kept there for 3 days. During captivity they didn’t give us even a slice of bread. The Armenians were raping young girls and regularly beating us.

Mahir Imran Khalilov:
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 the Armenians attacked Khojaly. They burnt houses, killed innocent people and looted all our property. We fled to the forest. A day later we reached the village of Abdal-Gulabli in Aghdam. There we were surrounded and captured by 30 Armenian militaries. I was with my father-in-law, mother-in-law, wife, brother-in-law and two daughters. Children were less than 1 year old. When we were taken hostage the Armenians beat us cruelly and took to the village of Dahraz in the Askeran district. There we were kept in the cellar for a week. Although there were little children among us, we were kept in a cold without food and water, beaten with barrels of machine guns, bludgeons and sticks. At present I suffer from these injuries. I got craniocerebral trauma, and my nervous system is disordered. When we left Khojaly our house and jewelry were looted by the Armenians. At the time we were taken hostage the Armenians took our money. On 3 March we were released. Among those Armenians who tortured us I remember only Armen who was beating captives with bludgeons, barrels of machine guns and spades.

Dilshad Saday Guliyeva:
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 the Armenians seized Khojaly. They killed innocent people, burnt houses and plundered property. Those inhabitants of Khojaly who survived fled away in different directions. We fled to the forest and hid there. After 4 days of hiding in the forest near Nakhchivanik about 30 Armenian soldiers took us captive and brought to the Armenian village. The weather was very frosty and they made us go on foot. There were people who died of frost and hunger. They threw us to the cellar in the Armenian village and began to beat cruelly. There they shot about 7-8 Azerbaijanis before my eyes. Then they brought us to Askeran and threw into prison. There they kept us without food and water, beat us cruelly, cauterized burning cigarettes on the bodies of men and women. They took away our money and jewelry. They took my gold necklace, watch, rings and earrings. When we showed resistance they beat us severely. When we left Khojaly all our property was plundered by the Armenians. They also destroyed our house. When we were captured my two brothers-in-law were with us. One of them Mikayil Zahid Guliyev committed suicide. Another one, Azad Zahid Guliyev, was taken hostage by the Armenians and was held in captivity for 28 days. I was exchanged for the Armenian captives after being kept for a day in Askeran.

Shahla Bahatur Safarova:
We were forced to leave Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992. Along with my husband and our 5 children we hid in the forest. There we were surrounded by the Armenians. I was wounded in my left arm at the village of Nakhchivanik. We could not move and were captured. The Armenians took us to Askeran and held us at the Police Department. Despite the fact that I was wounded, they did not provide me any medical aid. Though it was very cold, we were kept in the windowless room without food. When we left Khojaly the Armenians had plundered our house, jewelry, money and all our property. Two days later I was released.

Azad Zahid Guliyev:
We left Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 and fled to the forest. My brother Mikayil, sister-in-law Dilshad and cousin Asif were with me. My brother Mikayil committed suicide to avoid captivity. We were taken hostage in the place towards Nakhchivanik. I was held in captivity in Nakhchivanik, Askeran and Noragekh. The Armenians regularly beat us with barrels of machine guns, kept us without food, and cauterized burning cigarettes on our bodies. When I was in Nakhchivanik the Armenians shot 8 Azerbaijanis. I remember inspector Karen from Askeran and inspector Samvel from Noragekh. They beat and ruthlessly tortured all Azerbaijanis. I was held in captivity for 14 days, and then released along with the others.

Sattar Mukhtar Agayev:
We left Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992. That day I was on duty. When I returned home I saw nobody there. I went towards the forest and met my family members. The weather was very frosty. We crossed the Gargar river and got soaked to the skin. I took my 10-years-old son Vusal in my arms and went on. But my son could not stand frost and died. As my legs freezed I could not move. In such a condition I was approached by two Armenians, beaten and captured. I wanted to take my son’s corpse but they kicked his dead body and did not let me take him. I was held in Dahraz, Khankendi, during my captivity. When I was held in the cellar they asked me if I had a son who had served in the national army. Trying to deceive them I gave a negative answer. Then they showed me his documents but I did not confess again. They beat me, then showed me the corpse of my son, the national army’s soldier Zahid Agayev. When I wanted to embrace him they beat me cruelly and I lost consciousness. By pincers they pulled out all my teeth. Wounds on my legs began to rot. They did not treat me. After being in captivity for 35 days I was released.

Sardar Sattar Agayev:
We left Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992. Along with armed men we helped civilians to leave the village. We were going towards the forest. Suddenly a skirmish started. I was separated from my friends and captured by the Armenians. They ruthlessly beat me and I lost consciousness. When I came to senses I found myself in a hen-house. There one Armenian began to beat me cruelly with a barrel of machine gun. He struck me mainly in the head. Everything went dark before my eyes and I fell into a faint. When I came to senses I found myself surrounded by my relatives in the village of Abdal-Gulabli.

Sarvar Sattar Agayev:
We left Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992. That time I was 12 years old. I was with my two brothers and mother. We stayed in the forest without food for 2 days.

When the cross-fire started I was separated from my family, captured by two Armenians and taken to the area called Agbulag. There they cruelly beat me and after threatening for 24 hours released me. I was scared and extremely nervous. By this reason I often have heart attacks, suffer from nervous disorder and have bad self-control.

Kamil Dadash Huseynov:
We left Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992. That day I was on duty. I hardly reached home and saw nobody there. I fled to the forest and stayed there for 3 days with the other inhabitants of Khojaly. The weather was very frosty and foggy. That is why we lost the direction. We wanted to go to the village of Abdal-Gulabli of the Aghdam district. But by mistake we came to the village of Dahraz. There about 50-60 Armenian militaries shot at us. Many people died there. I was captured and taken to the isolator in Khankendi. I remember the names of people who were captured with me: Niftalin, Sattar, Samandar, Mahammed, Kamal, Alish, Abulfat. During the captivity they were severely beating us with barrels of machine guns. Furthermore, they let the civilians beat us. I remember very well the inspectors Felix and Arthur who were in the isolator. Then they brought us to Goris in Armenia. I was held captive at the Yerevan Police Department and was exposed to ruthless tortures. We were kept almost without food. In total, I was held captive for 6 months. Then they exchanged us for the Armenian captives in Gubadli. In the result of tortures I was struck by gastroenterostomy and later operated. After captivity I was told that my 7-years-old daughter Maral had been killed by the Armenians.

Rahila Rashid Hajieva:
The Armenians seized Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992. They burnt houses, killed innocent people, plundered our property. The people were forced to leave their houses and flee away. At that time my husband Mustafayev Vidadi Shafa participated in the battle. He served in the volunteer battalion. We could not leave our house. My daughters Safayat, Ayshan, my son Taleh, my sister-in-law Rahila and the family of Alkhan who worked at the Khojaly Police Department hid in the bathroom of our house. It was snowing and very frosty. Alkhan came to our house at about 4.00-5.00 a.m. He told that the Armenians had already occupied Khojaly. The Armenians got into our house and captured us on 26 February at about 11.00 a.m. They were beating us cruelly. My daughter Safayat was crying: “Don’t beat my mother”. An Armenian caught and threw her from the second floor. She injured her knee joint. Then the Armenians started to beat Alkhan. He told us that my husband Vidadi had been wounded during the battle and had given him cartridges to shoot us to avoid captivity. Alkhan asked to forgive him for being unable to do that and the Armenians killed him by beating before our eyes. One Armenian took his wife. His two sons were brought with us to the Askeran Police Department. I recognized Ashot from Shushukand among the Armenians who captured us. His father’s name was Ata. They kept us in Askeran for a week. There was an Azerbaijani with a nickname Dumbay who lives at present at the hostel of college 9 in Ganja. They took him away for beating. When he returned he told that my husband was held in the cellar and the Armenians were planning to kill us torturing before his eyes. Then the Armenians asked me for several times who was that man. I didn’t reply anything and they began to torture me. They heated reinforcing steel and cauterized it to my body. They cut my left arm and upper jaw with a knife. These scars remain on my body now. Later I learnt that my husband Vidadi along with 4 other Azerbaijanis had been taken to the grave-yard by an Armenian whose 20-years-old brother had been killed in the battle, and there he had beheaded them on his grave.

My sister-in law Rahila Shafa Mustafayeva was also held in captivity. She was 25 years old. We were raped by the Armenians for several times. They were beating us with barrels of machine guns and bludgeons and didn’t give us any food. A man whose name was Karo was among the Armenians who tortured us. He was even more cruel than the others. He was tying captives’ arms and legs and was beating and breaking them with baton. He was cauterizing burning cigarettes to their eyes and different parts of their bodies and raping women. He was always wearing military uniform. The Armenians took all our jewelry, money and documents. My sister-in-law Rahila fell ill seriously. As a result of tortures, a blood flow started. It was hard to keep her alive till the end of captivity. There we were kept in the cold and without food. All my children fell ill. 7 days later we were exchanged for the Armenian captives. Although we underwent medical treatment after captivity, it was impossible to save the lives of my sister-in-law Rahila and my daughter Shafayat. My daughter died at the age of 22, my daughter Ayshan and son Taleh are always ailing and are under the doctor’s control. I myself was operated. Because of received craniocerebral injury, I often suffer from headaches.

Elmira Isgandar Valiyeva:
The Armenians seized Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992. They burnt houses, killed innocent people. We could hardly flee to the forest and stayed there for 5 days. The weather was very frosty. We were stiffed with cold. In such a condition we were captured and held in captivity for several days. Then they exchanged. While staying in Askeran, we were severely beaten with batons. The Armenians took my ring, necklace, earrings and money. As a result of received injuries, I often have headaches and suffer from nervous disorder.

Guloysha Baxtiyar Mammadova:
We left Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992. With my son Farhad we fled to the forest. After staying there for 3 days we were taken hoslage in the area of Gilinbag and then brought to the Askeran Police Department. There we were held for 10 days. They severely beat us, kept without food; many young women were tortured and raped. They beat us with bludgeons, pieces of iron and barrels of machine guns. I was held hostage for 10 days. At the moment I am being tormented by the injuries received in captivity. I had got craniocerebral trauma. I can’t sleep without taking sleeping pills. I often have severe headaches. I suffer from kidney and stomach-intestine diseases.

Sanam Hasan Abdullayeva:
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 I left Khojaly along with my father, mother, my sisters Hadija, Tazagul, Latafat, my daughters Vusala, Khayala and my nephew Ruslan. We fled to the forest where my father, mother and sister Latafat died. We stayed there for 4 days. Then we were taken hostage by the Armenians near the village of Pirjamal and kept in the stable along with about 300 inhabitants of Khojaly. While we were in captivity an armed Armenians killed Faiq Alimammadov and Ismail. The Armenians tortured and beat us with barrels of machine guns and bludgeons, and didn’t give us any food. We were released in a day.

Farman Gazanfar Mammadov:
The Armenians seized Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992. We were forced to leave our native land. I was 10 years old then. With my mother we fled to the forest along with the other civilians.

Without food we had to stay there in freezing cold for 3 days. Then we were taken hostage by the Armenians. They severely beat us and brought to the Askeran Police Department. There they kept us in the cell for 10 days. There were about 20-30 people. Every day prison guards were beating us with reinforcing steel and raping young women. They kept us without food. I was a child and when I cried of fear the Armenians were knocking me down and kicking. As a result, I got kidney disease. In 10 days we were released. Since then I was undergoing medical treatment until 1996. Our house and property were plundered by the Armenians.

Sevil Mursal Abdulova:
The Armenians seized Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992. With my family - my husband and our 3 children we fled to the forest. The Armenians surrounded us. They started to shoot in the direction where people crowded. My 12-years-old son Jeyhun and I were wounded and then separated from the other family members near Aghdam in the area called Garagaya. There we were taken hostage by two armed Armenians. A woman from Khankendi whose name was Gulli and her son were with us. This woman burnt all her money. When the Armenians saw it they killed them both. They took money and jewelry out of my bag. They brought us to their house in Khankendi and held there for 3 days. The name of the house host was Sarkis. His son Karlen Ayrumyan was imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Later we were exchanged for him in Askeran.

Fatma Hasan Zamanova:
As a result of the seizure of Khojaly over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992, my family members fled away in different directions, and I hid in the basement prepared for protection from bombing. There were about 100 women, men, elderly and children. Later the Armenian and Russian soldiers found us and started to beat with barrels of machine guns, and then by kicking pulled us out of the basement. When I saw my husband - Novruz Gulu Zamanov’s dead body I wanted to approach him, but an Armenian saw it and kicked me so that I fell down. Then they brought us to the village of Mehdi. There they undressed a group of Azerbaijani soldiers and shot them before our eyes, cut their bodies into pieces and then put one on another. They cut pregnant women’s stomaches, pulled out babies and then started to shoot tearing them to pieces. They told they would not allow the Azerbaijani women to bear boys because one day they would come with weapons in their arms to kill the Armenians. They were putting glass bottles into women’s wombs, knocking them down and then jumping over them, breaking bottles on their stomaches and putting old galoshes into their wombs. They cut girls’ hair to make them look ugly. They chose 50 girls and took them away to rape. The Armenians undressed some men and tried to force them to have sexual intercourse with their daughters, threatening to behead them if they refuse. I don’t remember the names of our torturers. They brought those who survived to the cellar of unknown building in Khankendi, and our tortures continued. I was released at the end of March 1992.

Shakhnaz Yusif Behbudova:
Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 Khojaly was seized. My father-in-law Shura Pashayev and mother-in-law Kubra Pashayeva were with us at that time. After crossing the Gargar river we fled to the forest near the village of Nakhchivanik together with our children and went towards Aghdam. But when we reached the cemetery between Aghdam and Askeran the Armenians surrounded us and started to shoot from machine guns. All people began to flee away in different directions. There were about 100 woman, children, and old people from the city. My husband Elshan Shura Pashayev and father-in-law Shura Pashayev along with the other people died from fire opened by the Armenians. Lining up those who survived near the river-bed they started to throw grenades. Only nine men who managed to flee to the pit could survive being wounded. My mother-in-law Kubra was wounded in her left hand by 2 bullets and my leg was scraped. Our neighbors Elbrus, Islam, Vugar, Gulnaz, Surayya (she died later) survived. Lining us up again the Armenians began to strike by different objects, abuse and then threw us to the basement of the Askeran Police Department.

There they kept men separately from women. There were about 40-50 wounded women and children in our cell. Tortures were horrible. They were exscinding women’s arms, noses and ears, they didn’t give us any food or water, children were crying and wounded people were moaning. Sometimes the Armenians were coming to our cell and taking away beautiful, young women and upon their return we knew that they had been raped. I heard that some girls were not released yet. When girls’ mothers wanted to go with their daughters they were beaten till the loss of consciousness. The Armenians took all our jewelry. All these tortures continued till the next day. We were brought back to the Azerbaijan side in the evening on 27 February 1992.

Prepared on the basis of the records of the criminal case investigating by the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Khojaly Genocide

At the end of 1991 and the beginning of 1992 Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict turned into a military phase. Taking advantage of the political instability as a result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and internal squabbles in Azerbaijan, Armenia initiated with the external military assistance combat operations in Nagorny Karabakh.

In February 1992, an unprecedented massacre was committed against the Azerbaijani population in the town of Khojaly. This bloody tragedy, which became known as the Khojaly genocide, involved the extermination or capture of the thousands of Azerbaijanis; the town was razed to the ground. Over the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 the Armenian armed forces with the help of the infantry guards regiment No. 366 of the former USSR implemented the seizure of Khojaly - a small town situated in the Nagorny Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan with the total area of 0.94 sq. km. and the population before the conflict of 23,757.

The inhabitants of Khojaly remained in the town before the tragic night (about 2500 people) tried to leave their houses after the beginning of the assault in the hope to find the way to the nearest place populated by the Azerbaijanis. But these plans have failed. Invaders destroyed Khojaly and with particular brutality implemented carnage over its peaceful population.

Brutal annihilation of hundreds of blameless inhabitants of Khojaly was one of the most heinous crimes during the armed conflict in and around the Nagorny Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Armenian armed forces and foreign military units spared virtually none of those who had been unable to flee Khojaly and the surrounding area. As a result, 613 persons were killed, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people. 1,275 inhabitants were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 persons remains unknown to this day. In the course of the tragedy 487 inhabitants of Khojaly were severely maimed, including 76 children not yet of age. 6 families were completely wiped out, 26 children lost both parents, and 130 children one of their parents. Of those who perished, 56 persons were killed with especial cruelty: by burning alive, scalping, beheading, gouging out of eyes, and bayoneting of pregnant women in the abdomen.

Armenian officials deny their responsibility for the crimes committed during the conflict, including against the population of Khojaly, airily falsifying facts and sharing own interpretations of them, which deviate not only from reality but also from elementary logic. Nevertheless, even the subtlest propaganda will never manage to disprove the facts that speak of a situation diametrically opposite to that represented by the Armenian side.

Apart from the considerable information in possession of the law-enforcement agencies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the responsibility of Armenia is documented also by numerous independent sources and eyewitnesses of this tragedy.

Khojaly in international media

Azerbaijan Publishing House, Baku, 1992
“KHOJALY - THE LAST DAY”

In the words of the journalist Chingiz Mustafaev, among the dead were “dozens upon dozens of children between 2 and 15 years old, women and old people, in most cases shot at pointblank range in the head. The position of the bodies indicated that the people had been killed in cold blood, calculatedly, without any sign of a struggle or of having tried to escape. Some had been taken aside and shot singly; many had been killed as whole families at once. Some corpses displayed several wounds, one of which was invariably in the head, suggesting that the wounded had been finished off. Some children were found with severed ears; the skin had been cut from the left side of an elderly woman’s face; and men had been scalped. There were corpses that had clearly been robbed. The first time we arrived at the scene of the shootings of 28 February, accompanied by two military helicopters, we saw from the air an open area about one kilometre across which was strewn with corpses almost everywhere”.

An inhabitant of Khojaly, Djanan Orudjev, also provided information on the many victims, chiefly women and children. His 16-years-old son was shot, and his 23-years-old daughter with her twin children and another, 18-years-old daughter who was pregnant, were taken hostage.

Saria Talybova, who witnessed the bloody tragedy as it unfolded, watched as four Meskhetian Turks, refugees from Central Asia, and three Azerbaijanis were beheaded on the grave of an Armenian soldier, and children were tortured and killed before their parents’ eyes; two Azerbaijanis in national army uniform had their eyes put out with screwdrivers.

The organized nature of the extermination of the people of Khojaly was further evident from the fact that the peaceful inhabitants who fled the town in desperation to save their lives were killed outside it in previously prepared ambushes. For example, Elman Mamedov, chief of administration in Khojaly, reported that a large group of people who had left Khojaly came under heavy fire from Armenian light and heavy machine-guns and armoured personnel carriers near the village of Nakhichevanik. Another resident of Khojaly, Sanubar Alekperova, said she would never forget the mountains of corpses of women, children and old people near Nakhichevanik, where they fell into an ambush: in the carnage, her mother and her two daughters, Sevinzh and Khidzhran, were killed and she herself was wounded. Faced with this mass shooting-down of unarmed people, some of the group made for the village of Gyulably, but there the Armenians took some 200 people hostage. Among them was Dzhamil Mamedov; the Armenians tore out his nails, beat him about the legs and head and took away his grandson, and his wife and daughter vanished without trace. “had heard a lot about wars, about the cruelty of the Fascists, but the Armenians were worse, killing five- and six-years-old children, killing innocent civilians” said a French journalist, Jean-Yves Junet, who visited the scene of this mass murder of women, old people, children and defenders of Khojaly.

One of the French journalist’s Russian colleagues, V.Belykh, a correspondent for the newspaper Izvestia, reported seeing bodies with their eyes gouged out or ears cut off and bodies that had been scalped or beheaded.

The head of the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry’s medical service, Khanlar Hajiyev, was horrified by the evidence of savage reprisals against the inhabitants of Khojaly brought before him: a guardsman with his intestines hanging out, people with frostbite, a child whose leg had been tom off by heavy machine-gun fire, a girl whose face had been slashed with a knife.

Major Leonid Kravets reported that he had “personally seen about 200 bodies» and that with him had been a local policeman who, «when he saw his four-years-old son lying among the dead with his head split open, went out of his mind with grief”.

The Washington Post, 28 February 1992
“NAGORNO-KARABAKH VICTIMS BURIED IN AZERBAIJANI TOWN - REFUGEES CLAIM HUNDREDS DIED IN ARMENIAN ATTACK”

By Thomas Goltz, Agdam, Azerbaijan, 27 February

Officials of the main mosque in this town just east of the embattled enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh said they buried 27 bodies today, brought from an Azerbaijani town inside the enclave that was captured Wednesday by Armenian militiamen.

Refugees fleeing the fighting in Khojaly, a town of 6,000 northeast of the enclave’s capital, Stepanakert, claimed that up to 500 people, including women and children, were killed in the attack. No independent estimate of deaths was available here. The Agdam mosque’s director, Said Sadikov Muan, said refugees from Khojaly had registered the names of 477 victims with his mosque since Wednesday.

Officials in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, estimated the deaths in Khojaly at 100, while Armenian officials in their capital, Yerevan, said only two Azerbaijanis were killed in the attack. An official from Baku said here that his government fears Azerbaijanis would turn against it if they knew how many had been killed.

Of seven bodies seen here today, two were children and three were women, one shot through the chest at what appeared to be close range. Another 120 refugees being treated at Agdam’s hospital include many with multiple stab wounds.

The Armenians who attacked Khojaly Tuesday night “were shooting, shooting, shooting”, said Raisa Aslanova, who reached Agdam Wednesday night. She said her husband and a son-in-law were killed and her daughter was missing.

Among the refugees who fled here over the mountains from Nagorno-Karabakh were two Turkmen soldiers from former Soviet Interior Ministry forces who had taken refuge in Khojaly after deserting from their unit last Friday because, they said, Armenian non-commissioned officers had beaten them «for being Muslims».

The two deserters claimed their former unit, the 366th Division, was supporting the Armenian militiamen who captured Khojaly. They said they tried to help women and children escape. “We were bringing a group through the mountains when the Armenians found us and opened fire”, said Agamehmet Mutif, one of the deserters. “Twelve were killed”.

The Independent, 29 February 1992 by Helen Womack
Elif Kaban, a Reuter correspondent in Agdam, reported that after a massacre on Wednesday, Azeris were burying scores of people who died when Armenians overran the town of Khojaly, the second-biggest Azeri settlement in the area. “The world is turning its back on what’s happening here. We are dying and you are just watching”, one mourner shouted at a group of journalists.

The Sunday Times, 1 March 1992
“ARMENIAN SOLDIERS MASSACRE HUNDREDS OF FLEEING FAMILIES”

By Thomas Goltz, Agdam, Azerbaijan

Survivors reported that Armenian soldiers shot and bayoneted more than 450 Azeris, many of them women and children. Hundreds, possibly thousands, were missing and feared dead.

The attackers killed most of the soldiers and volunteers defending the women and children. They then turned their guns on the terrified refugees. The few survivors later described what happened: “That’s when the real slaughter began”, said Azer Hajiev, one of three soldiers to survive. “The Armenians just shot and shot. And then they came in and started carving up people with their bayonets and knives”.

“They were shooting, shooting, shooting”, echoed Rasia Aslanova, who arrived in Agdam with other women and children who made their way through Armenian lines. She said her husband, Kayun, and a son-in-law were massacred in front of her. Her daughter was still missing.

One boy who arrived in Agdam had an ear sliced off.

The survivors said 2000 others, some of whom had fled separately, were still missing in the gruelling terrain; many could perish from their wounds or the cold.

By late yesterday, 479 deaths had been registered at the morgue in Agdam, and 29 bodies had been buried in the cemetery. Of the seven corpses I saw awaiting burial, two were children and three were women, one shot through the chest at point blank range.

Agdam hospital was a scene of carnage and terror. Doctors said they had 140 patients who escaped slaughter, most with bullet injuries or deep stab wounds.

Nor were they safe in Agdam. On Friday night rockets fell on the city which has a population of 150,000, destroying several buildings and killing one person.

The Times, 2 March 1992 “CORPSES LITTER HILLS IN KARABAKH”

Anatol Lieven comes under fire while flying to investigate the mass killings of refugees by Armenian troops

As we swooped low over the snow-covered hills of Nagorno-Karabakh we saw the scattered corpses. Apparently, the refugees had been shot down as they ran. An Azerbaijani film of the places we flew over, shown to journalists afterwards, showed dozens of corpses lying in various parts of the hills.

The Azerbaijanis claim that as many as 1000 have died in a mass killing of Azerbaijanis fleeing from the town of Khodjaly, seized by Armenians last week. A further 4,000 are believed to be wounded, frozen to death or missing.

The civilian helicopter’s job was to land in the mountains and pick up bodies at sites of the mass killings.

The civilian helicopter picked up four corpses, and it was during this and a previous mission that an Azerbaijani cameraman filmed the several dozen bodies on the hillsides.

Back at the airfield in Agdam, we took a look at the bodies the civilian helicopter had picked up. Two old men and small girl were covered with blood, their limbs contorted by the cold and rigor mortis. They had been shot.

The Washington Times, 2 March 1992
“ARMENIAN RAID LEAVES AZERIS DEAD OR FLEEING”

About 1,000 of Khojaly’s 10,000 people were massacred by the Armenian Army in Tuesdays attack. Azerbaijani television showed truckloads of corpses being evacuated from the Khojaly area. 

The New York Times, 3 March 1992 
“MASSACRE BY ARMENIANS BEING REPORTED”

Agdam, Azerbaijan, March 2 (Reuters) - The last of the former Soviet troops in the Caucasus enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh began pulling out today as fresh evidence emerged of a massacre of civilians by Armenian militants.

The Itar-Tass press agency said the 366th Motorized Infantry Regiment had started its withdrawal, in effect removing the last frail buffer separating the region’s two warring ethnic groups, Armenians and Azerbaijanis.

The two sides made no attempt to interfere, it added.

Nagorno-Karabakh is within the Republic of Azerbaijan, but most of its population is Armenian. 

Shelling in town reported

The Azerbaijani press agency Azerinform reported fresh Armenian missile fire on the Azerbaijani-populated town of Shusha in Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday night. It said several people had been wounded in another attack, on the settlement of Venjali, early today.

The Republic of Armenia reiterated denials that its militants had killed 1,000 people in the Azerbaijani-populated town of Khojaly last week and had massacred men, women and children fleeing the carnage across snow-covered mountain passes.

But dozens of bodies scattered over the area lent credence to Azerbaijani reports of a massacre.

Azerbaijani officials and journalists who flew briefly to the region by helicopter brought back three dead children with the backs of their heads blown off. They said shooting by Armenians had prevented them from retrieving more bodies.

“Women and children had been scalped”, said Assad Faradzhev, an aide to Nagorny-Karabakh’s Azerbaijani Governor.

“When we began to pick up bodies, they began firing at us”.

The Azerbaijani militia chief in Agdam, Rashid Mamedov, said: “The bodies are lying there like flocks of sheep. Even the fascists did nothing like this”. 

Two trucks filled with bodies

Near Agdam on the outskirts of Nagorno-Karabakh, a Reuters photographer, Frederique Lengaigne, said she had seen two trucks filled with Azerbaijani bodies.

“In the first one I counted 35, and it looked as though there were almost as many in the second”, she said. “Some had their heads cut off, and many had been burned. They were all men, and a few had been wearing khaki uniforms”.

Ethnic violence and economic crisis threaten to tear apart the Commonwealth of Independent States, created by 11 former Soviet republics in December. The commonwealth has been powerless in the face of the ethnic hatred rekindled in the age-old dispute between Christian Armenia and Muslim Azerbaijan, which are members.

Four years of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh have killed 1,500 to 2,000 people. The last week’s fighting has been the most savage yet.

The 366th Regiment, based in Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, has been caught at the center of fighting in which at least three of its soldiers were killed late last month.

Speaking to his Parliament in Yerevan, the Armenian capital, President Levon Ter-Petrosyan criticized the withdrawal from the enclave of the commonwealth’s last troops.

“This regiment, though not involved in military operations, was a stabilizing factor”, Mr. Ter-Petrosyan said.

The Times, 3 March 1992 “MASSACRE UNCOVERED”

By Anatol Lieven

More than sixty bodies, including those of women and children, have been spotted on hillsides in Nagorno-Karabakh, confirming claims that Armenian troops massacred Azeri refugees. Hundreds are missing.

Scattered amid the withered grass and bushes along a small valley and across the hillside beyond are the bodies of last Wednesday’s massacre by Armenian forces of Azerbaijani refugees.

In all, 31 bodies could be counted at the scene. At least another 31 have been taken into Agdam over the past five days. These figures do not include civilians reported killed when the Armenians stormed the Azerbaijani town of Khodjaly on Tuesday night. The figures also do not include other as yet undiscovered bodies Zahid Jabarov, a survivor of the massacre, said he saw up to 200 people shot down at the point we visited, and refugees who came by different routes have also told of being shot at repeatedly and of leaving a trail of bodies along their path. Around the bodies we saw were scattered possessions, clothing and personnel documents. The bodies themselves have been preserved by the bitter cold which killed others as they hid in the hills and forest after the massacre. All are the bodies of ordinary people, dressed in the poor, ugly clothing of workers.

Of the 31 we saw, only one policeman and two apparent national volunteers were wearing uniform. All the rest were civilians, including eight women and three small children. Two groups, apparently families, had fallen together, the children cradled in the women’s arms.

Several of them, including one small girl, had terrible head injuries: only her face was left. Survivors have told how they saw Armenians shooting them point blank as they lay on the ground. 

The Times, 3 March 1992
“BODIES MARK SITE OF KARABAGH MASSACRE”

A local truce was enforced to allow the Azerbaijanis to collect their dead and any refugees still hiding in the hills and forest. All are the bodies of ordinary people, dressed in the poor, ugly clothing of workers. All the rest were civilians, including eight women and three small children. Two groups, apparently families, had fallen together, the children cradled in the women’s arms. Several of them, including one small girl, had terrible head injuries: only her face was left. Survivors have told how they saw Armenians shooting them point blank as they lay on the ground. 

BBC1 Morning News at 07:37, Tuesday, 3 March 1992
BBC reporter was live on line and he claimed that he saw more than 100 bodies of Azeri men, women and children as well as a baby who are shot dead from their heads from a very short distance.

BBC1 Morning News at 08:12, Tuesday, 3 March 1992
Very disturbing picture has shown that many civilian corpses who were picked up from mountain. Reporter said he, cameraman and Western Journalists have seen more than 100 corpses, who are men, women, children, massacred by Armenians. They have been shot dead from their heads as close as 1 meter. Picture also has shown nearly ten bodies (mainly women and children) are shot dead from their heads. Azerbaijan claimed that more than 1000 civilians massacred by Armenian forces.

The Washington Times, 3 March 1992 “ATROCITY REPORTS HORRIFY AZERBAIJAN”

By Brian Killen, Agdam, Azerbaijan

Dozens of bodies lay scattered around the killing fields of Nagorno-Karabakh yesterday, evidence of the worst massacre in four years of fighting over the disputed territory.

Azeri officials who returned from the scene to this town about nine miles away brought back three dead children, the backs of their heads blown off.

At the local mosque, six other bodies lay stretched out, fully clothed, with their limbs frozen in the positions in which they were killed. Their faces were black from the cold.

“Telman!” screamed one woman, beating her breast furiously over the body of her dead father, who lay on his back with his stiff right arm jutting into the air.

Those who returned from a brief visit by helicopter to Khojaly, captured by the Armenians last week, said they had seen similar sights - only more. One Russian journalist said he had counted about 30 bodies within a radius of 50 yards from where the helicopter landed.

Armenia has denied atrocities or mass killings of Azeris after its well-armed irregulars captured Khojaly, the second-biggest Azeri town in Nagorno-Karabakh, last Wednesday. Azerbaijan says 1,000 people were killed.

“Women and children had been scalped”, said Assad Faradzhev, an aide to Karabakh’s Azeri governor.

Mr. Faradzhev said the helicopter, bearing Red Cross markings and escorted by two MI-24 helicopters of the former Soviet army, succeeded in picking up only the three children before Armenian militants opened fire. “When we began to pick up bodies, they started firing at us”, he said.

Mr. Faradzhev said they were on the ground for only 15 minutes.

“The combat helicopters fired red flares to signal that Armenians were approaching and it was time to leave. I was ready to blow myself up if we were captured”, he said pointing to a grenade in his coat pocket.

Reuters photographer Frederique Lengaigne saw two trucks full of Azeri corpses near Agdam.

“In the first one, I counted 35, and it looked as though there were almost as many in the second. Some had their heads cut off and many had been burned. They were all men, and a few had been wearing khaki uniforms”, she said.

In Agdam’s mosque, the dead bodies lay on mattresses under a naked light bulb. People screamed insults at Azerbaijan’s president, Ayaz Mutalibov, saying he had not done enough to protect Karabakh’s Azeri population.

Hundreds of people crowded outside chanting Islamic prayers. Some wept uncontrollably and collapsed near their dead relatives, brought to the town by truck only minutes earlier.

Chilling film of dozens of stiffened corpses scattered over a snowy hillside backed accounts of the slaughter of women and children sobbed out by refugees who made it safely out of the disputed Caucasus enclave.

Azerbaijani television showed pictures of one truckload of bodies brought to the Azeri town of Agdam, some with their faces apparently scratched with knives or their eyes gouged out. One little girl had her arms stretched out as if crying for help.

“The bodies are lying there like flocks of sheep. Even the fascists did nothing like this”, said Agdam militia commander Rashid Mamedov, referring to the Nazi invaders in World War II.

“Give us help to bring back the bodies and show people what happened”, Karabakh Gov. Musa Mamedov pleaded by telephone to the Soviet army base in Gyandzha, Azerbaijan’s second-largest city.

A helicopter pilot who took cameramen and Western correspondents over the area reported seeing some corpses lying around Khojaly and dozens more near the Askeran Gap, a mountain pass only a few miles from Agdam.

The Boston Globe, 3 March 1992

By Paul Quinn-Judge, Baku, Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan charged yesterday that Armenian militants massacred men, women and children after forcing them from a town in Nagorno-Karabakh last week.

Azerbaijani officials said 1000 Azeris had been killed in town of Khojaly and that Armenian fighters then slaughtered men, women and children fleeing across snow-covered mountain passes.

Armenian officials disputed the death toll and denied the massacre report.

Journalists on the scene said it was difficult to say exactly how many people had been killed in surrounding areas. But a Reuters photographer said he saw two trucks filled with Azeri corpses, and a Russian journalist reported massacre sites elsewhere in the area.

Azeri officials and journalists who flew briefly to the region by helicopter recovered the bodies of three dead children who had been shot in the head, Reuters said, but Armenians prevented them from retrieving more bodies.

There were growing signs that many civilians were killed during the capture of Khojaly.

Footage shot by Azerbaijan Television Sunday showed about 10 dead bodies, including several women and children, in an improvised morgue in Agdam. An editor at the main television station in Baku said 180 bodies had been recovered so far. A helicopter flying over the vicinity is re ported to have seen other corpses, while the BBC quoted a French photographer who said that he had counted 31 dead, including women and children, some who appeared as though they were shot in the head at close range.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Khojaly, Elmar Mamedov, said at a news conference in Baku that 1000 people had died in the attack, 200 more were missing, 300 had been taken hostage, and 200 were injured. Armored personnel carriers of the 366th spearheaded the attack, Mamedov charged, and cleared the way for Armenian irregulars.

The Age (Melbourne), 6 March 1992

By Helen Womack, Agdam, Azerbaijan, Thursday

The exact number of victims is still unclear, but there can be little doubt that Azeri civilians were massacred by Armenian Army in the snowy mountains of Nagorno-Karabakh last week.

Refugees from the enclave town of Khojaly, sheltering in the Azeri border town of Agdam, give largely consistent accounts of how Armenians attacked their homes on the night of 25 February, chased those who fled and shot them in the surrounding forests. Yesterday, I saw 75 freshly dug graves in one cemetery in addition to four mutilated corpses we were shown in the mosque when we arrived in Agdam late on Tuesday. I also saw women and children with bullet wounds in a makeshift hospital in a string of railway carriages.

Khojaly, an Azeri settlement in the enclave mostly populated by Armenians, had a population of about 6000. Mr. Rashid Mamedov, Commander of Police in Agdam, said only about 500 escaped to his town. “So where are the rest?” Some might have taken prisoner, he said, or fled. Many bodies were still lying in the mountains because the Azeris were short of helicopters to retrieve them. He believed more than 1000 had perished, some of cold in temperatures as low as minus 10 degrees.

When Azeris saw the Armenians with a convoy of armoured personnel carriers, they realized they could not hope to defend themselves, and fled into the forests. In the small hours, the massacre started.

Mr. Nasiru, who believes his wife and two children were taken prisoner, repeated what many other refugees have said - that troops of the former Soviet army helped the Armenians to attack Khojaly. “It is not my opinion, I saw it with my own eyes”.

The Sunday Times, 8 March 1992

Thomas Goltz, the first to report the massacre by Armenian soldiers, reports from Agdam

Khojaly used to be a barren Azeri town, with empty shops and treeless dirt roads. Yet it was still home to thousands of Azeri people who, in happier times, tended fields and flocks of geese. Last week it was wiped off the map.

As sickening reports trickled in to the Azerbaijani border town of Agdam, and the bodies piled up in the morgues, there was little doubt that Khojaly and the stark foothills and gullies around it had been the site of the most terrible massacre since the Soviet Union broke apart.

I was the last Westerner to visit Khojaly. That was in January and people were predicting their fate with grim resignation. Zumrut Ezoya, a mother of four on board the helicopter that ferried us into the town, called her community “sitting ducks, ready to get shot”. She and her family were among the victims of the massacre by the Armenians on February 26.

“The Armenians have taken all the outlying villages, one by one, and the government does nothing”, Balakisi Sakikov, 55, a father of five, said. “Next they will drive us out or kill us all”, said Dilbar, his wife. The couple, their three sons and three daughters were killed in the massacre, as were many other people I had spoken to.

“It was close to the Armenian lines we knew we would have to cross. There was a road, and the first units of the column ran across then all hell broke loose. Bullets were raining down from all sides. We had just entered their trap”.

The Azeri defenders picked off one by one. Survivors say that Armenian forces then began a pitiless slaughter, firing at anything moved in the gullies. A video taken by an Azeri cameraman, wailing and crying as he filmed body after body, showed a grizzly trail of death leading towards higher, forested ground where the villagers had sought refuge from the Armenians.

“The Armenians just shot and shot and shot”, said Omar Veyselov, lying in hospital in Agdam “I saw my wife and daughter fall right by me”, he said.

People wandered through the hospital corridors looking for news of the loved ones. Some vented their fury on foreigners: “Where is my daughter, where is my son?” wailed a mother. “Raped. Butchered. Lost”.

Le Mond, 14 March 1992

The foreign journalist in Aghdam saw the women and three scalped children with the pulled off nails among the killed people. This is not “Azerbaijani propaganda”, but reality.

Newsweek, 16 March 1992 “THE FACE OF A MASSACRE”

By Pascal Privat with Steve Le Vine in Moscow

Azerbaijan was a charnel house again last week: a place of mourning refugees and dozens of mangled corpses dragged to a makeshift morgue behind the mosque. They were ordinary Azerbaijani men, women and children of Khojaly, a small village in war-torn Nagorno-Karabakh overrun by Armenian forces on Feb. 25-26. Many were killed at close range while trying to flee; some had their faces mutilated, others were scalped. While the victims’ families mourned.

Time, 16 March 1992 “MASSACRE IN KHOJALY”

By Jill Smolowe

Reported by Yuri Zarakhovich/Moscow

While the details are argued, this much is plain: something grim and unconscionable happened in the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly two weeks ago. So far, some 200 dead Azerbaijanis, many of them mutilated, have been transported out of the town tucked inside the Armenian-dominated enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh for burial in neighboring Azerbaijan. The total number of deaths - the Azerbaijanis claim 1,324 civilians have been slaughtered, most of them women and children - is unknown.

Videotapes circulated by the Azerbaijanis include images of defaced civilians, some of them scalped, others shot in the head...

Svoboda, 12 June 1992

“A TRAGEDY WHOSE PERPETRATORS CANNOT BE VINDICATED”

A report by Memorial, the Moscow-based human rights group, on the massive violations of human rights committed in the taking of Khojaly on the night of 25-26 February 1992 by armed units

The report of Memorial on the massive violations of human rights committed in the taking of Khojaly says of the civilians’ flight from the town: “The fugitives fell into ambushes set by the Armenians and came under fire. Some of them nonetheless managed to get into Agdam; others, mostly women and children (exactly how many it is impossible to say), froze to death while lost in the mountains; others still, according to testimony from those who reached Agdam, were taken prisoner near the villages of Pirdzhamal and Nakhichevanik. There is evidence from inhabitants of Khojaly who have already been exchanged that some of the prisoners were shot. Around 200 bodies were brought into Agdam in the space of four days. Scores of the corpses bore traces of profanation. Doctors on a hospital train in Agdam noted no less than four corpses that had been scalped and one that had been beheaded. State forensic examinations were carried out in Agdam on 181 corpses (130 male and 51 female, including 13 children): the findings were that 151 people had died from gun- shot wounds, 20 from shrapnel wounds and 10 from blows inflicted with a blunt instrument. The records of the hospital train in Agdam, through which almost all the injured inhabitants or defenders of Khojaly passed, refer to 598 cases of wounds or frostbite (cases of frostbite being in the majority) and one case of live scalping”.

The Independent (London), 12 June 1992

By Frederique Lengaigne/Reuter

Aref Sadikov sat quietly in the shade of a cafe-bar on the Caspian Sea esplanade of Baku and showed a line of stitches in his trousers, torn by an Armenian bullet as he fled the town of Hojali just over three months ago, writes Hugh Pope.

“I’m still wearing the same clothes, I don’t have any others”, the 51-years-old carpenter said, beginning his account of the Hojali disaster. “I was wounded in five places, but I am lucky to be alive”.

Mr. Sadikov and his wife were short of food, without electricity for more than a month, and cut off from helicopter flights for 12 days. They sensed the Armenian noose was tightening around the 2,000 to 3,000 people left in the straggling Azeri town on the edge of Karabakh.

“At about 11pm a bombardment started such as we had never heard before, eight or nine kinds of weapons, artillery, heavy machine-guns, the lot”, Mr. Sadikov said.

Soon neighbours were pouring down the street from the direction of the attack. Some huddled in shelters but others started fleeing the town, down a hill, through a stream and through the snow into a forest on the other side.

To escape, the townspeople had to reach the Azeri town of Agdam about 15 miles away. They thought they were going to make it, until at about dawn they reached a bottleneck between the two Azeri villages of Nakhchivanik and Saderak.

“None of my group was hurt up to then... Then we were spotted by a car on the road, and the Armenian outposts started opening fire”, Mr. Sadikov said. Mr. Sadikov said only 10 people from his group of 80 made it through, including his wife and militiaman son. Seven of his immediate relations died, including his 67-years-old elder brother.

“I only had time to reach down and cover his face with his hat”, he said, pulling his own big flat Turkish cap over his eyes. “We have never got any of the bodies back”.

The first groups were lucky to have the benefit of covering fire. One hero of the evacuation, Alif Hajief, was shot dead as he struggled to change a magazine while covering the third group’s crossing, Mr Sadikov said.

Another hero, Elman Memmedov, the mayor of Hojali, said he and several others spent the whole day of 26 February in the bushy hillside, surrounded by dead bodies as they tried to keep three Armenian armoured personnel carriers at bay.

As the survivors staggered the last mile into Agdam, there was little comfort in a town from which most of the population was soon to flee.

“The night after we reached the town there was a big Armenian rocket attack. Some people just kept going”, Mr. Sadikov said. “I had to get to the hospital for treatment. I was in a bad way. They even found a bullet in my sock”.

Victims of massacre: An Azeri woman mourns her son, killed in the Hojali massacre in February (left). Nurses struggle in primitive conditions (centre) to save a wounded man in a makeshift operating theatre set up in a train carriage. Grief-stricken relatives in the town of Agdam (right) weep over the coffin of another of the massacre victims. Calculating the final death toll has been complicated because Muslims bury their dead within 24 hours.

The Independent (London), 12 June 1992 “PAINFUL SEARCH”

The gruesome extent of February’s killings of Azeris by Armenians in the town of Hojali is at last emerging in Azerbaijan - about 600 men, women and children dead.

The State Prosecutor, Aydin Rasulov, the chief investigator of a 15-man team looking into what Azerbaijan calls the “Hojali Massacre”, said his figure of 600 people dead was a minimum on preliminary findings. A similar estimate was given by Elman Memmedov, the mayor of Hojali. An even higher one was printed in the Baku newspaper Ordu in May - 479 dead people named and more than 200 bodies reported unidentified. This figure of nearly 700 dead is quoted as official by Leila Yunusova, the new spokeswoman of the Azeri Ministry of Defense.

Francois Zen Ruffinen, head of delegation of the International Red Cross in Baku, said the Muslim imam of the nearby city of Agdam had reported a figure of 580 bodies received at his mosque from Hojali, most of them civilians. “We did not count the bodies. But the figure seems reasonable. It is no fantasy”, Mr. Zen Ruffinen said. “We have some idea since we gave the body bags and products to wash the dead”.

Mr. Rasulov endeavours to give an unemotional estimate of the number of dead in the massacre. “Don’t get worked up. It will take several months to get a final figure”, the 43-years-old lawyer said at his small office.

Mr. Rasulov knows about these things. It took him two years to reach a firm conclusion that 131 people were killed and 714 wounded when Soviet troops and tanks crushed a nationalist uprising in Baku in January 1990.

Officially, 184 people have so far been certified as dead, being the number of people that could be medically examined by the republic’s forensic department. “This is just a small percentage of the dead”, said Rafiq Youssifov, the republic’s chief forensic scientist. “They were the only bodies brought to us. Remember the chaos and the fact that we are Muslims and have to wash and bury our dead within 24 hours”.

Of these 184 people, 51 were women, and 13 were children under 14 years old.

Gunshots killed 151 people, shrapnel killed 20 and axes or blunt instruments killed 10. Exposure in the highland snows killed the last three. Thirty-three people showed signs of deliberate mutilation, including ears, noses, breasts or penises cut off and eyes gouged out, according to Professor Youssifov’s report. Those 184 bodies examined were less than a third of those believed to have been killed, Mr. Rasulov said.

“There were too many bodies of dead and wounded on the ground to count properly: 470-500 in Hojali, 650-700 people by the stream and the road and 85-100 visible around Nakhchivanik village”, Mr. Manafov wrote in a statement countersigned by the helicopter pilot.

“People waved up to us for help. We saw three dead children and one two-years-old alive by one dead woman. The live one was pulling at her arm for the mother to get up. We tried to land but Armenians started a barrage against our helicopter and we had to return”.

There has been no consolidation of the lists and figures in circulation because of the political upheavals of the last few months and the fact that nobody knows exactly who was in Hojali at the time - many inhabitants were displaced from other villages taken over by Armenian forces.