Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 03/09/2018 1:09:02 PM

The foll9wing factsheet (pis see below) has been sent out on March 9, 2018 as a email attachment to offices of all members of the US Senate and House of Representatives.

Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 03/09/2018 1:09:.02 PM Received by NSDIFARA Registration Unit 03/09/2018 1:09:02 PM

OFFICE OF THE NAG0RN0 REPUBLIC IN THE USA

Februal\l, 2018

AZERBAIJAN CONTINUES TO MANIPULATE WITH THE KHOJAL Y EVENTS

The material contains ·reference to Azeri sources

Decades after February 1992 tragic events that happened to the residents of in the suburbs of the town of (not Khojaly, as Azerbaijani propaganda represents), the Azeri government have been obstinately fanning anti-Armenian propaganda with the aim of falsifying the events and discrediting .

When in 1991 launched military aggression against the young democratic Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR), the Khojaly area was turned into military stronghold of the Azeri army. From there it inqiscriminately shelled NKR's capital of and other blockaded settlements, causing death to numerous civilians and destroying remaining life support infrastructure. Suppressing those military positions became an urgent necessity in order to save tens of thousands of lives.

Many records, among them acknowledgements and admissions by top Azeri officials reiterate that the deaths during the Khojaly operation were the results of political intrigues, and struggle for power iri Azerbaijan. Here are few of the numeroustestimonies by Azerbaijani officials and journalists explaining the reality: • Then-, Ayaz Mutalibov, admitted that " ... the assault on Khojaly was not a surprise attack", and has confirmed that "a corridor was left available by the Armenians for (Khojaly) people to leave"1; • The fact was reiterated by President Mutalibov in his 1992 interview, who linked this crime with eventually successful attempts by the opposition to remove him from presidency2. • In his more recent interview to Czech journalist Dana Mazalova, Mutalibov has confirmed his earlier statement: "The shooting oft.he Khojaly residents 3 was obviously organized by someone to take control in Azerbaijan" ;

1 "Ogonek" M_agazine, Noy. 14-15, 1_99l 2 "I am a humanist in my soul", Nezavisima"ya gazeta;' ("Independent Newspaper") (in Russian), 2nd April 1992 3 "Novoye vremya" (New Time) magazine, 6 March 2001

This mater/QI is distributed on behalf of the Government a/ the Nagorna Karabakh Republic. The Offtce of the Nagomo Karabakh Republic is registered with the U.S. GoVem~(Jt u_rtder the Foieign Agent Regis_tration A<,t. Additional information is available at the Department ofJustir:e, Washington, D.C.

734 15 th Street, NW, Suite 500 • Washington, DC :moos• Tel (202) 481-3341 i □ fo@nkrusa prg • www nkrusa.org • www facebaok com/ArtsakhinUSA

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• In 2005, independent Azeri journalist Eynulla Fatullayev stated in an interview to the "Monitor" Azeri news agency that he had "met with Khojaly inhabitants, who confirmed that Armenians were using loudspeakers to warn about the forthcoming operation, and offered them to leave the settlementthrough a corridor ;ilong the river".

Questions that require answers in order to shed light on the events near Agdam are:

1. Who prevented civilian villagers from escaping from the war zone in Azerbaijani-controlled territory? Unlike the population of NKR, were not encircled, and all opportunities to leave the potentially hazardous areas. 2. Who killed civilians from Khojaly and later maimed their bodies on the territory fully controlled by Azerbaijani army? 3. The Azerbaijani sources t_hemst;?lves indicate that the Agdam battle took place in July of 1993. The Khojaly tragedy had happened 17 months earlier (February, 1992). How could the accusations be true if the area at the time was completely controlled by Azerbaijani military? 4. Why everyone in Azerbaijan, who tried to find the truth about Khojaly was either murdered, imprisoned by fabricated accusations, or expelled from the country? 5. If Karabakh self-defense forces' intention was as bad as Azerbaijanis allege, why the events happened near Agdam (where Azerbaijani positions were stationed), and not in the village itself? 6. How to explain few hundreds of Azerbaijani civilians, who were saved from the battlefield by Karabakh army, and later safely transferred to Azerbaijan?

The question of Khojoly is too important to be addressed without o comprehensive analysis. Azerbaijani government, which is 'notorious' for its poor human rights records, continues to manipulate with the issue to Nrther instigate anti-Armenian hatred, thus undermine the US· mediated peace process.

The NKR Government kindly asks Members of the US Congress not to follow Azerbaijan's propaganda, and oct in consideration of the aforementioned facts, as well as the information of the Xocali.net multi-language portal ..

The NKR Office in the United States is ready to provide more of the relevant information, should the necessity arise.

This material is distributed on behalf of the Government of the Nogorno Karabakh Republic. The O/fiie of the Naga_rn_o Ka_rab'akh f!_tipub/ic.is registered with the U.S. Government under the Foreign Agent Registration Act. Additional information is available at the Department ofJustice, Wmhington, D.C.

734 15m Street, NW, Suite 50_0 • Washington, DC 20005 • Tel (202) 481-334i iofo@nkrusa org • www nkrusa ora • www.f~cebQok_._com/ArtsakhinUSA

Received by NSD/FARA Registration Unit 03/09/2018 1:09:02 PM