Solemn Evening in Askeran on 23rd Anniversary of Defense of Askeran against Aggressors

STEPANAKERT, FEBRUARY 22, ARMENPRESS: For keeping down the Artsakhi movement, a crowd of Azerbaijani aggressors from the city of Aghdam attacked Askeran February 22, 1988; however they faced serious withstanding by the Armenians and left the peaceful city of Askeran.

Sergey Grigoryan, head of the regional administration of Askeran, told Armenpress that the attack was organized upon the initiative of the Azerbaijani authorities. “I should only mention that Colonel Mamedov, deputy minister of the interior of Azerbaijan in that period, was in the crowd,” Sergey Grigoryan said. He mentioned that the event of Askeran became the first impetus for the Artsakhi war.

A solemn evening, dedicated to the 23rd anniversary of defense of Askeran against the Azerbaijani attackers, was held today in Askeran, Nagorno Karabakh Republic. Ashot Ghulyan, chairman of the NKR National Assembly, Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan, leader of the Artsakhi Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, partook in the evening.

Ashot Ghulyan mentioned in his speech that the most important lesson of the event of Askeran for the Azerbaijanis was that they felt the real power of the Artsakhi-Armenians in the defense of their homeland.