Azerbaijan, which killed its own people, blames Armenians – “Geghard” SAF

YEREVAN, MAY 31, ARMENPRESS. “Geghard” Scientific and Analytical Foundation has issued a statement addressing Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev’s recent statement that “Armenia should itself recognize the barbarities committed in Khojali and apologize to us.”

The statement reads as follows:

“Recently, Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev visited occupied Ivanyan (Khojaly) village and announced that “Armenia should itself recognize the barbarities committed in Khojali and apologize to us.”

“In the period of the Artsakh movement, Khojali occupied a strategically important position. Between 1988 and 1991, the Azerbaijani population of Khojali hindered the movement of Armenians and cargo transportation, carried out kidnappings of Armenian residents, and engaged in looting and shelling of Armenian villages. During that time, attacks from Khojali and Shushi on Armenian settlements (particularly the capital, Stepanakert) with various weapons were incessant. Therefore, the liberation of Khojali and Shushi gained vital importance for the liberation forces of Artsakh.

“In February 1992, during military operations, Armenian forces provided a humanitarian corridor for the Azerbaijani residents of Khojali to leave the settlement. However, near the settlement of Shelli, close to Aghdam, militants of the National Front of Azerbaijan shot the Azerbaijanis who were leaving Khojali and then desecrated the corpses. This circumstance was documented by Chingiz Mustafaev, an Azerbaijani TV journalist.

“Days after these events, Azerbaijan presented the incident as a "genocide" of the civilian population carried out by Armenians. As of now, Azerbaijan continues to spread the fabricated theses on this incident.

“The fact that these atrocities were organized by Azerbaijanis is evidenced not only by the survivors of Khojali but also by the former leader of Azerbaijan, Ayaz Mutalibov, in an interview with the "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" newspaper. According to him, the barbarism in Khojali was orchestrated by certain forces to discredit him and force his resignation. In fact, for the sake of internal political intrigues, Azerbaijanis did not hesitate to kill their own people.

“In fact, in Sumgait, Baku, Gandzak, Artsakh, and other territories under their control, Azerbaijanis, especially the genocidal regime of Ilham Aliyev, carried out massacres against Armenians. The leader of Azerbaijan himself should apologize and accept the will of the Artsakh Armenians to live freely and independently in their homeland.”