Sumgait: Azerbaijani Witnesses Speak Out book presented, includes judicial and investigative testimonies

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 27, ARMENPRESS. The Information Center of Public Relations of the Presidential Staff is presenting two new projects – the book Sumgait: Azerbaijani Witnesses Speak Out and the film Sumgait: Murdered Generation.

Marina Grigoryan, author of the Ordinary Genocide project, told a press conference that the Sumgait topic is one of the main directions of their work. She finds the creation of the archive to be one of the most important achievements of the recent years. Many materials have been collected and digitized and later used in various projects.

“These new two projects look at the Sumgait genocide from a slightly different point of view. The Sumgait: Azerbaijani Witnesses Speak Out book is a unique work. We are presenting the Sumgait tragedy through the eyes of Azerbaijanis, people who have seen it all and later have presenting it in testimonies during investigative and judicial processes,” Grigoryan said.

She highlighted the fact that the Azerbaijanis themselves confirm the reality that the Sumgait tragedy was premeditated and implemented by the Azerbaijani authorities.

“Only a part of enforcers were later punished and the real organizers of this crime were not discovered. Azerbaijanis themselves testified during judicial processes that these actions were directed exclusively against Armenians, they are clearly saying – they were searching for Armenians, they were killing Armenians, the slaughterers had the list of addresses of Armenians, they were armed with knives. After the instructions from Baku, an attempt was made to eliminate the consequences of the cruel murders, they were quickly destroying material evidence,” she said.

According to her, the Azerbaijanis are stating that the death toll in Sumgait is much higher than the official data. Grigoryan says the figure is a few hundred.

“There is no propaganda here, there is no fiction, something our neighbors like very much. This book has been published based exclusively on judicial, investigative materials. There were more than 10 judicial cases over the Sumgait events, but we only have 3 materials available to us,” she said.

Larisa Alaverdyan, executive director of the Against Legal Arbitrariness NGO, says they’ve put two meanings behind the words of the film’s title.

“We put two meanings in these words. First of all we meant the Armenian victims, second of all the Azerbaijani young boys and girls who were involved in these actions. The footage shows that they’ve been included in horrible crimes. The footage shows even children running in front. The actions were carried out demonstratively, before everyone’s eyes. We underline the methods, the ways, by which a generation is being brought up, a generation which is ready to repeat the same. These people are in Azerbaijan today, and they’ve remained unpunished,” Alaverdyan said, stressing that the film is about prevention of genocide. The film includes a call on vigilance. Alaverdyan reminded that Azerbaijan is preparing for such actions even today. The Azeri president is openly saying that their strategic goal is to capture Yerevan and other Armenian areas.

Alaverdyan stressed that many of the organizers are unpunished, and according to Azerbaijanis, some of them are serving in the parliament.

“Criminal prosecution wasn’t launched against them. I am convinced that this work must be started and completed by Armenian law enforcement agencies. International arrest warrants are needed”, she said.

She urged all Armenian establishments to pay tribute to the victims with a moment of silence on February 28.

English –translator/editor: Stepan Kocharyan