■ Dövlət idarəçiliyi: nəzəriyyə və təcrübə ■

SİYASƏT POLICY

ALI HASANOV Assistant of the President of the Republic of for Public and Political Affairs, Doctor of Science in History, Professor

GENOCIDE OF 31 MARCH IS THE BLOODIEST PAGE OF 'S POLICY OF ETHNIC CLEANSING AGAINST

Resettlement of the Tsitsianov. As soon as the khanate to Azerbaijani lands became part of , P.D.Tsitsianov The policy of ethnic cleansing, genocide immediately began to resettle the Armenians and aggression deliberately carried out by from other provinces of the South Caucasus in Armenian nationalists against our people over order to strengthen the positions of czarism in the past two centuries represents extremely Karabakh (2, p.271-272). painful and tragic stages in the history of According to the "Description of the Azerbaijan, including bloody events. The main Karabakh province", an important document objective of this nationalist and chauvinist prepared by royal officials Yermolov and policy was to oust the Azerbaijanis from their Mogilev and providing detailed information on ancestral lands and to create a fictional state of the ethnic composition of the Karabakh "Great Armenia" on Azerbaijani territories. population, the Karabakh province in 1823 Historical facts indicate that the resettlement was home to 20,095 families, including 15,729 of numerous Armenians from and Azerbaijanis and 4,366 Armenians. In other to the mountainous part of Karabakh region of words, before 1823 the number of Armenian Azerbaijan, which represented tremendous families in the province was increased on the importance in strategic terms, was carried out account of settlers to reach 4,366 (11, p. 17). from the beginning of the 19th century. Over A significant increase in the number of the this period, the Imperial Russia, which sought Armenians in the mountainous part of Karabakh to establish control over the region's vast took place in the 1920s, especially after the natural resources, used the "Armenian factor" Russian occupation of the South Caucasus. As as a political tool in the war against Turkey and a result of mass resettlement of the Armenians Iran in the late 19th and early 19th century. in the Russian-Iranian war of 1804-1813 and At the beginning of the 19th century, the 1826-1828, the Russian-Turkish war of 1828- commander-in-chief of the Russian troops in 1829, and then from Iran, Turkey and South the Caucasus, P.D.Tsitsianov, having occupied Azerbaijan to the South Caucasus, their Ganja, wrote in his report No 19 dated 22 May numbers here started to increase with every 1805 that in terms of its geographical location year. N.N.Shavrov openly talks about the Karabakh is considered the gateway of occupation of the Caucasus by czarist Russia Azerbaijan and Iran, therefore, "we need to and writes about the first resettlement to these keep it under control and apply even more territories of representatives of other effort to strengthening our positions here" (11, nationalities: "We started our colonial activities p. 16). This goal was soon achieved. On 14 with the relocation not of the Russian May 1805, an agreement was signed between population, but foreigners to the Caucasus. Of Karabakh Khan Ibrahim and General these colonists, who were unwelcome elements

■ 1 (61) 2018 ■ ■ 93 ■ ■ ə.Həsənov ■ at home, we created colonies in Tiflis and years from 1896 to 1908, a total of 400,000 Yelizavetpol (Ganja) provinces. The best lands Armenians were resettled to the Caucasus. were allocated to them and various privileges N.N.Shavrov writes about this: "In 1896, provided" (27, p.63). Adjutant-General Sheremetyev wrote in a note A total of 124,000 Armenians were initially about the Armenians living in the Caucasus resettled to the mountainous part of Karabakh that their number was around 900,000 people. officially, followed by a large number of those In 1908, their number reached 1,300,000, i.e. resettled unofficially. Overall, more than over this period the number of Armenians 200,000 Armenians were resettled to the increased by more than 400,000 people. Of mountainous part of Karabakh in 1828-1830s. 1,300,000 Armenians living in the Caucasus at This is how N. N. Shavrov describes these the moment, one million people are not facts: "After the war of 1828-1830s we moved indigenous to the region. They were resettled more than 40,000 Iranian and 84,000 Turkish here by us" (27, p.63). Armenians and settled them in Yelizavetpol In general, the resettlement of Armenians and Erivan provinces, as well as the best public to the mountainous part of Karabakh had a lands of Tiflis, Borchali, Akhaltsikhe and huge impact on the demographic situation in Akhalkalaki districts, where the Armenians the region. It is noted that the public census practically did not live. More than 200,000 carried out in 1897 revealed that of 54,841 tithes of state lands were allocated for their families living in Karabakh 29, 350 families resettlement. Besides, special farming lands were Azerbaijani and 18,616 Armenian. In worth in excess of 2 million rubles were 1917, the number of Armenians in Karabakh acquired from the Muslims. These Armenians increased at the expense of settlers to reach 46 were settled in the mountainous part of the per cent, while the Azerbaijanis accounted for Yelizavetpol province (the mountainous part 51 per cent of the total population (11, p. 19). of Karabakh is implied) and on the shores of In 1917, the "Caucasian Calendar" digest Lake Goycha. It should also be noted that the wrote that Karabakh was home to 199,000 number of Armenian settlers together with Azerbaijanis (58.3 per cent) and 142,000 those resettled unofficially exceeded 200,000 Armenians (41.7 per cent). As can be seen, people" (27, p.63). despite the fact that thanks to the patronage of This fact indicates that the Armenians were czarist Russia the Armenians were artificially mainly settled in areas where the Armenians resettled to and placed in Karabakh in stages, did not live or their number was insignificant. the Azerbaijanis as original inhabitants of these Hence it is clear that before the beginning of lands always formed the majority. The the 19th century, in particular before the statistics provided in the "Caucasian Calendar" conclusion of the Treaty of Turkmenchay, the proves that the number of Azerbaijanis by far number of Armenians in Ganja and Erivan exceeded that of the Armenians even on the provinces was negligible. Thus, in the two present-day territory of Armenia. For example, years following the signing of the Treaty of in 1886, of 326 villages in Zangezur district of Turkmenchay, the Armenians, thanks to the Ganja (Yelizavetpol) province 154 were patronage of czarist Russia, managed to settle Azerbaijani (45.7 per cent), 91 Kurdish (27.8 in different regions of Azerbaijan, including per cent) and only 81 Armenian (24.8 per the mountainous part of Karabakh. This czarist cent). patronage of the Armenians manifested itself In 1889, the Azerbaijani population of in subsequent years as well. Zangezur district exceeded that of Armenians At the end of the 19th and beginning of the by 1,500 people. In 1897, the population of 20th centuries, the resettlement of Armenians Zangezur was 142,000 people, including to the South Caucasus was continued. In 13 71,200 of Azerbaijanis (50.1 per cent) and

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63,600 Armenians (44.8 per cent) (15, p.23). Armenian policy of ethnic cleansing The statistical digest of the Central Statistical and genocide against the Azerbaijanis Office of Armenia published in 1962 states that in the early 20th century out of 18,766 people living in Erivan in 1831 The process of resettlement, which was an as many as 15,992 and out of 27,246 integral part of the colonial policy of czarist inhabitants of Erivan in 1866 23,627 people Russia, continued throughout the 19th century were Azerbaijanis (i.e. 85.2 per cent of the and eventually influenced the demographic population) (14, p.25). situation in the region. The artificial increase The book titled "The Population of Soviet of the number of Armenians in the region Armenia in 1831-1931" published by contributed to the fact that starting from the Z.Korkodyan in Erivan in 1932 also notes that beginning of the 20th century they began to put out of 2,310 settlements of Erivan, forward territorial claims and pursue an Echmiadzin, Yeni-Bayazid and Alexandropol aggressive policy against Azerbaijan. areas of Erevan province, Zangezur and In the early 20th century, Armenian Gazakh-Dilijan areas of Yelizavetpol (Ganja nationalists expanded their activities towards Province) and Lori-Pembek area (Borchali the idea of a "Great Armenia" put forward by district) of Tiflis province, 2,000 were the “Dashnaktsutyun” Party, systematically Azerbaijanis. Of 10,000 people living in expelled Azerbaijanis from their historical Erivan, 7,000 people were Azerbaijanis, lands and native homes and embarked on a including all 40 people who ran the Khanate policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide. For (15, p.22). In the districts of Erivan province example, in 1905-1906 the Armenians that were part of Azerbaijan until 1920, in committed massacres against Azerbaijani particular the Erivan district, the Azerbaijani civilians in , Ganja, Karabakh, Erivan, population was much greater. For example, of , , -Daralayaz, 99,000 residents of the district 62,600 (66 per Tiflis, Zangezur, Gazakh and other places, cent) were Azerbaijanis and 36,400 Armenians perpetrated ruthless massacres against the local (34 per cent) (15, p.22). population, burned and destroyed cities and In Echmiadzin, Yeni-Bayazid and Surmeli villages. Armenian armed forces destroyed districts of Erivan province the Azerbaijanis more than 200 Azerbaijani villages in , accounted for a third of the population. As of Zangezur and district, Erivan and 1 January 1916, the ethnic composition of the Ganja provinces, tens of thousands of our population in these districts was still in favor compatriots were expelled from their homes of the Azerbaijanis. Erivan district was home and became refugees and IDPs. After to 74,200, or 48 per cent, Zangezur district to indiscriminately killing more than 200,000 119,500, or 53.3 per cent, Yeni-Bayazid to Azerbaijanis (children, women and the 50,700 and Surmeli to 45,000 Azerbaijanis elderly), the Armenians carried out ethnic (15, p.23). These figures clearly show that in cleansing to create an “Armenian state” on the 19th and early 20th centuries Azerbaijanis these territories promised to them by czarist formed the majority of the local population on Russia (5, p. 14). Thus, the Armenians who the territory of the present-day Armenia. also enjoyed the patronage of czarism during At the end of the 19th century, in 1885, World War One, continued to inflict Armenian nationalists established the punishment on Azerbaijanis. "Armenakan" Party in Marseille, "Gnchag" in After the developments that occurred in Geneva in 1887 and "Dashnaktsutyun" in Tbilisi Russia in February and October of 1917, the in 1890. Following this, Armenian efforts to “Dashnaktsutyun” Party and the Armenian create a "Great Armenia" entered a new National Congress launched even wider stage. activities. At the same time, S. Shaumyan, who

■ 1 (61) 2018 ■ ■ 95 ■ ■ ə.Həsənov ■ was appointed as temporary emergency Amazasp also slaughtered the local Jews along commissioner on the Caucasus by V. Lenin in with the Turkic-Muslim population. The December 1917, organized and led a campaign research has established that in 1918-1919 the of mass extermination of the Azerbaijanis (3, Armenians massacred about 3,000 Jews in p.34). In the time period from April 1917 to Guba (19, p.26). March 1918, Armenian armed forces In addition, hundreds of settlements were destroyed 197 villages in Erivan province, 109 destroyed and burned in Azerbaijan, including villages in Zangezur district and 157 villages more than 150 villages in Karabakh. A ruthless in Karabakh, and destroyed, burned and razed massacre of the Azerbaijanis was perpetrated to the ground 60 settlements in other regions. in Shusha. In March-April 1918, Armenian In early 1918, i.e. on the eve of the March Dashnaks tortured and killed about 50,000 massacre, the number of Armenian armed people in Baku and other regions of forces that reported directly to the Shaumyan Azerbaijan. More than 10,000 people were constituted nearly 20,000 people. With the ruthlessly slaughtered in Zangezur district, support of the , including Lenin, 10,270 in district and 18,270 Shaumyan became the leader of the Baku Azerbaijanis in the city of Shamakhi (8, p.25). Commune. On 30 March of that year, In 1918-1920, of the 575,000 Azerbaijanis Armenian-Bolshevik units subjected Baku to living on the territory of the present-day volley fire from ships. Then armed Dashnaks Armenia, 565,000 people were killed and attacked the homes of Azerbaijanis and staged expelled from their native lands. Confirming merciless slaughter. On 31 March and in the this figure in a book called "Population of first days of April, the carnage became even Soviet Armenia in 1831 -1931", Z. Korkodyan more ruthless. Thousands of Azerbaijani writes that "in 1920 the Soviet government civilians were killed only because of their inherited a little more than 10,000 Turkic ethnicity. In those days, Armenian-Bolshevik (Azerbaijani) population from the Dashnaks. units destroyed 12,000 Azerbaijani civilians in In 1922, after the return of 60,000 Azerbaijanis Baku (4, p. 176). During those bloody events refugees there were 72,596 people and people were burned in their homes, killed and 105,838 in 1931 (15, p.33)." In the last two tortured with unparalleled cruelty. months of 1919, a total of 96 villages were As a result of an armed attack by the destroyed in Echmiadzin and Surmali districts, Armenians, more than 16,000 people were all villages in Erivan district and 132,000 killed with utmost cruelty in Guba province in Azerbaijanis in Erivan province (14, p.35). the first five months of 1918, a total of 167 Overall, as a result of the incessant and villages were destroyed, of which 35 do not ruthless massacres unleashed by the exist to this day (14, p.47). The facts of mass Armenians in 1918-1920, tens of thousands of extermination of the Azerbaijanis of Guba Azerbaijanis were killed and more than a district by Armenian-Dashnak gangs have million people were expelled from their native been recently proven again. Thus, the lands in Baku, Guba, Shamakhi, , discovery in 2007 of mass graves in Guba is a and Shusha, on the territory of fact confirming Armenian vandalism. The Erivan province, Zangezur, Nakhchivan, study of the burial site has revealed that during Sharur, Ordubad, Kars and other regions. an Armenian armed attack on Guba in 1918 When committing these atrocities on historical people were subjected to unprece-dented Azerbaijani lands, the Armenians burned violence and killed with cruelty. The grave schools and mosques and destroyed samples contains remains of mass burials of local of material culture. residents. It should also be noted that After formation of the Azerbaijan Armenian armed forces under the command of Democratic Republic on 28 May 1918, the

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Extraordinary Commission of Inquiry was Karabakh issue, the Parliament of Azerbaijan established to investigate the crimes started the implementation of specific committed by the Armenians. By a resolution measures to curb separatist movement. To this of the Government it was decided to mark 31 end, the Government of Azerbaijan on 15 March of each year as a day of mourning (31 January 1919 separated Shusha, Jabrayil, March 1919 and 1920 was marked as a Javanshir and Zangezur districts from the national day of mourning). However, the fall Ganja province, formed the Karabakh of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic governor-generalship with a center in the city prevented completion of this work (5, p.8). of Shusha and appointed Khosrov Sultanov as The geopolitical situation that existed in the Governor General. The Azerbaijani region during the formation of the Azerbaijan government instructed him to establish order Democratic Republic led to the transfer, on 29 there and set up local authorities (8, p.27). May 1918, of the city of Erivan to the Thanks to the strenuous efforts of the Armenians as a political center. Thereby, the government of Azerbaijan, with the mediation Republic of Armenia was formed on of the United States Mission, Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani lands, on the territory of the Armenia signed a treaty in Tbilisi on 23 former Erivan khanate, in 1918. November 1919 (16, p.46). According to the The artificial increase of the number of signed agreement, clashes were to be Armenians in the mountainous part of suspended, controversial issues, including Karabakh as a result of the resettlement, which those related to border issues, should be was part of a colonial policy of czarist Russia resolved through negotiations. However, the that continued throughout the 19th century, led Armenian side grossly violated the agreement, to the fact that in early 20th century they began sent troops to Azerbaijani territories and to put forward territorial claims and conduct arranged a monstrous massacre of aggressive policy against Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijanis. Despite all this, during the biggest claim of the Armenians was on existence of the Azerbaijan Democratic Karabakh and Zangezur. The Armenian Republic, Armenian attempts to seize government, seeking to implement these Karabakh in diplomatic and military means aggressive plans, sent armed forces there. As were strongly suppressed. However, after the a result, the Armenian armed forces seeking to sovietization of Azerbaijan, these territorial capture Karabakh destroyed hundreds of claims of Dashnaks, who played a significant settlements and mercilessly massacred role in the fall of Azerbaijan Democratic thousands of innocent Azerbaijanis. In January Republic, resurfaced again. Using the 1919, the Dashnak sovietization of the South Caucasus in their leveled another claim related to Karabakh own interests, the Armenians in 1920 declared against Azerbaijan. This represented the first Zangezur and a number of other Azerbaijani official attempt to attach the mountainous part lands as being part of the Armenian SSR. In of Karabakh to Armenia. The Azerbaijani subsequent periods they further extended the government made repeated proposals to policy of deportation of Azerbaijanis who had resolve the problem by peaceful means. But historically lived in these areas. the position of Dashnaks prevented their The Armenians, who used the sovietization realization. of the South Caucasus in their own interests, The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, managed to include Zangazur and a number of which considered preservation of the territorial Azerbaijani territories in the Armenian SSR. integrity and security of citizens its main duty, Thus, Nakhchivan was geographically categorically rejected the territorial claims of separated from Azerbaijan, and its land the Republic of Armenia. After discussing the communications with the country were cut. In

■ 1 (61) 2018 ■ ■ 97 ■ ■ ə.Həsənov ■ the following years the Armenians extended "Nagorno-Karabakh" has appeared. Although the policy of deporting Azerbaijanis from a decree on the establishment of autonomy Zangazur, which was given to Armenia, and showed Khankandi as the regional center, from the other areas where the Azerbaijanis shortly after that on September 18, 1923 by the have historically lived. decision of the Nagorno-Karabakh regional As a continuation of this policy, on July 7, party committee Knankandi was renamed 1923 the Armenians who were resettled in the in honor of Sergey Shaumyan (18, mountainous part of the Karabakh region in p. 187-188). Thus, the foundation was laid for the 19th century, were given the status of an the renaming historical Azerbaijani places, autonomous region (18, p. 152-153). This towns, districts and villages in Karabakh. decision was implemented under the auspicies Although in Soviet times, the Armenian and with the involvement of the Soviet Russia. community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region However, many more Armenians were living of Azerbaijan enjoyed autonomy, covering all in other Soviet republics than in Karabakh. political, economic, social and cultural issues, Moreover, despite the fact that the number of Armenia repeatedly put forward territorial Azerbaijanis historically living in Armenia claims, but failed to achieve its goal. Instead, exceeded the number of Karabakh Armenians as a result of the mass deportation of several times, Azerbaijan never demanded Azerbaijanis in 1948-1953 from their Armenia to establish a national or state historical lands, particularly from and organization for them. Besides, when the the surrounding areas, in accordance with the NKAO was established, the administrative and 23 December 1947 decree of the Council of territorial division of Azerbaijan, which Ministers "On the resettlement of collective existed before 1923, was grossly violated and farmers and other Azerbaijani population from in accordance with the decision, NKAO was the Armenian SSR to the Kur-Araz lowland of established through division of the territories Azerbaijan SSR" about 150,000 of our of Javanshir, Gubadli, Shusha districts. Under compatriots were forcibly resettled in low- the “Statute”, Shusha, Khankandi and 115 lying areas of Azerbaijan (21, 22). villages in , 52 villages in Javanshir district, 30 villages in Garyagin Territorial claims and military district, and Galadarasi from Gubadli district aggression of Armenia against were included in NKAO (18, p.268-269). Azerbaijan in the late 20th century As a result, Karabakh, an integral part of In the late 1980s the Armenians with the Azerbaijan, was artificially divided into help of their patrons in the near and far abroad lowland and mountainous areas and the and using the situation to implement the idea Azerbaijani leadership was forced to grant the of "Great Armenia", made territorial claims to Armenians, who were settled in the the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. mountainous part of Karabakh, the status of Whenever territorial claims to Karabakh were autonomy. At the same time this status of brought forth from the outside under the autonomy was implemented without taking influence of propaganda, incitement and into account the opinion of the Azerbaijanis pressure by the Armenian side, they did not historically living in Nagorno-Karabakh and occur immediately, but even before that were by grossly violating their rights. prudently prepared by supporters in Yerevan This event was not only a violation of the and in the West, also on the basis of a administrative and territorial division of comprehensive plan. Azerbaijan, but also became a tool for future In Soviet times, central authorities have territorial claims of Armenia against launched a deliberate propaganda campaign Azerbaijan and since then the term of against Azerbaijan, which formed a negative

■ 98 ■ ■ Yanvar - Fevral - Mart ■ ■ Dövlət idarəçiliyi: nəzəriyyə və təcrübə ■ public opinion. Armenian ideologists and their situation in late 1990 - early 1991 when inspirers brazenly manipulated information Armenian aggression took a broader scale in about the history and socio-economic the Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions of development of Azerbaijan (24, p.9-16). When Azerbaijan. Hundreds of Azerbaijanis were the events of 1988 just started, long rallies and killed in a Baku-Moscow train and Tbilisi- demonstrations were organized, the work of Baku, Tbilisi-, Agdam-Shusha, Agdam, enterprises was halted in Khankendi and bus terrorist attacks. Thousands of Yerevan under a deliberate plan to annex the Azerbaijanis became victims of Armenian Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia under the policy of aggression, which was patronized by pretext of economic backwardness of the the USSR establishment. region which was elaborated by Armenian Unfortunately, nobody stopped the politicians, who were trying to aggravate the Armenian separatists at the beginning, and it situation and mislead the public opinion, and just escalated the situation. As a result, their patrons in the center. receiving both Armenian and Russian material However, subsequent events showed that a and military support, Armenians committed false thesis on the socio-economic plight of the mass killings of Azerbaijani civilians and these Nagorno-Karabakh professed by Armenian bloody crimes against the Azerbaijanis led to politicians and their patrons in the center, was a further widening of the conflict and its just a pretext, while the main goal was the expansion into a full-fledged war. territorial claims of Armenia against In 1991 the tension in the mountainous part Azerbaijan. Armenian-Azerbaijani ethnic of Karabakh started to gradually worsen. hostilities escalated in the second half of 1980, Socio-political situation has already when the Azerbaijani community of the foreshadowed the approach of a major disaster. Nagorno-Karabakh was brutally attacked. In June and December of 1991 Armenian So, in late August and early September, armed forces killed 12 and wounded 15 the Armenians attacked Khojaly and Azerbaijanis in the village of Garadagli in Kyarkidzhahan. On September 18 nearly Khojavand region and Meshali village in 15,000 Azerbaijanis were driven out from Askaran region (8, p.87). In August and Khankendi by Armenians.Their homes were September of the same year, 17 Azerbaijanis burned out (8, p.57). were killed and 90 injured when the Armenian On December 1 1989 the armed detachments shelled buses en route of the Armenian SSR contrary to the Shusha-, Agdam-Khojavend and Constitution took a decision to annex the Agdam-Garadagli (8, p.77-78). At the end of Nagorno-Karabakh, grossly violating the October and in November 1991 the Armenians sovereignty of Azerbaijan. Enterprises of the burned, destroyed and looted more than 30 Nagorno-Karabakh were subordinated to the settlements in the mountainous part of relevant ministries and departments of Karabakh, including Tyr, Imaret-Gervend, Armenia. As a direct result of inaction and Syrkhavend, Meshali, Jamilli, Umudlu, even open patronage of the Soviet leadership Garadagli, Karkijakhan and other villages of the Nagorno-Karabakh's economy and other strategic importance. spheres actually seceded from Azerbaijan and In general, from 1988 to 1991, that is, from joined Armenia. All party district committees the beginning of the events until the collapse were included in the Communist Party of of the , patronized by the ruling Armenia. The of Armenia was raised in circles of the USSR, Armenia pursued an the Nagorno-Karabakh. Very serious and aggressive policy against Azerbaijan. As a inexcusable errors, pro-Armenian policy of the result of this policy, the Azerbaijani civilians Soviet leadership led to the aggravation of the were killed, their villages were destroyed,

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burned and looted. Aggressive state artificially brutally attacked the Nagorno-Karabakh town instilled Armenians living in Nagorno- of Khojaly populated by Azerbaijanis, and Karabakh region the idea of separation from razed it to the ground. The town was Azerbaijan and unification with Armenia. To completely destroyed, burned out and people achieve this goal the Armenians subjected to were killed with extreme cruelty. According to genocide 50,000 Azerbaijanis of Nagorno- official data, as a result of the genocide 613 Karabakh and forced them to leave their Azerbaijanis were killed, including 106 homeland. During these years, Armenians women, 63 children, and 70 elderly (26, p.8). committed 2,559 clashes, 315 armed attacks Eight families were completely destroyed, 487 and 1,388 fires, killing 514 and injuring 1,318 people, including 76 children were injured. In people in the Nagorno-Karabakh (8, p.88-89). addition, 1,275 people were captured, with fate At the same time during this period as a of 150 still unknown (23, p.235). result of ethnic cleansing an estimated 250,000 Dozens of Armenian officers and warrant civilians living in 185 Azerbaijani villages in officers were involved in the attack on Khojaly Armenia were subjected to aggression and as part of the 3rd Battalion of the 366th were forced to leave their homes. It was an Regiment. To hide the trace of Khojaly crime, action of ethnic cleansing, 216 Azerbaijanis on March 2 1992, the 366th Motorized Infantry were savagely killed, thousands of women, Regiment was transferred to Vaziani, Georgia, children and old people were injured and and on March 10 this regiment was abolished property was looted (3, p.68). and its personnel and military equipment were In the beginning of 1992, the Armenian assigned to other military units (10, p. 145). army occupied the last Azerbaijani villages in A trilateral meeting of the leaders of the Nagorno-Karabakh. On February 12 1992 Armenia and Azerbaijan took place on May 8, the Armenian armed forces occupied Malibeyli 1992 in Tehran on Iran’s initiative. Shusha was and Gushchular suburbs of Shusha. On occupied on the same day. Later it turned out February 13-17 an armed attack on Garadagli that the Armenian side, in fact, persuaded a village of Khojavend region 118 people different purpose seeking a ceasefire along the (including children, women, the elderly) were Azerbaijani-Armenian border and in the captured, 33 people were shot by the mountainous part of Karabakh. This meeting Armenians, who then buried the dead in a was just a camouflage for Armenia to single hole. Some 68 of captured Azerbaijanis disguise its intentions from the international were ruthlessly killed and 50 people rescued community. The Armenian leadership from captivity (later on 18 of them died of fatal undoubtedly knew in advance about the wounds). Torture of captives, extremely cruel, offensive operation since the occupation of barbarous actions against them, beheading, Shusha coincided with the Tehran talks, which burial alive, forcible tooth extraction, forced fell apart even before the ink dried. The famine - is serious crime against humanity. In Armenians, as always, on the eve of the Garadagli village, 4 people from two families offensive operation spread disinformation were killed, 42 families lost their breadwinner; about the attacks from Shusha to Khankendi. about 140 children became orphans. The So using the advanced military equipment, population of this village was subjected to a the Armenian armed forces seized Shusha, real genocide - every tenth villager here was which covered a territory of 289 square killed (91 people in total) (8, p.93). kilometers, had a population of 24,000 people On February 25-26 1992, assisted by the and as many as 30 villages. Some 195 people 366th Motorized Infantry Regiment of the were killed, 165 were wounded and 58 went former Soviet army comprised of 180 militants missing in the battle of Shusha (8, p. 106). This and heavy military equipment, the Armenians tragedy once again confirmed that the

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Armenian government violated the UN kilometers) and whose total area is four times Charter and OSCE principles, trying to bigger than the area of the Nagorno-Karabakh forcibly annex the mountainous part of region (28, p.4-6). All these territories were Karabakh to Armenia and pursuing an ethnically cleansed. Thus, though the Armenian aggressive policy in beach of the international community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region is law. Annexation of Shusha subsequently trying to present this process as self- played a major role in the loss of other determination, it led to the fact that one million Azerbaijani territories. After the occupation of Azerbaijanis were forced to leave their homes Shusha, the ancient center of Azerbaijani and become refugees in their own land. music and culture, the Armenian armed forces Currently, more than 20 percent of closed Shusha- road and exposed the Azerbaijani territory is under occupation of the town of Lachin to a powerful artillery fire Armenian armed forces. As a result of the directly from the territory of the Republic of occupation about 900 settlements, 22 museums Armenia. The goal of Armenian armed forces and 4 art galleries, 9 palaces of historical was annexation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and significance, 40,000 museum exhibits of opening of a corridor between the occupied unique historical significance, 44 temples and Azerbaijani territories and Armenia. 9 mosques were destroyed, looted and burned. After some time following the occupation In addition, the Armenians destroyed 4.6 of Shusha, the Armenians on May 18 seized million books and valuable historical the ancient Azerbaijani town of Lachin located manuscripts kept in 927 libraries (8, p. 147). between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Lachin, with At the same time, Armenia, pursuing the the territory of 1385 square kilometers, policy of state terrorism and genocide, and the population of 71,000 people and 120 villages separatists in the occupied territories of was also occupied by Armenian armed forces Azerbaijan carried out 373 terrorist attacks (in (8, p.108). No doubt that the Armenian passenger buses, passenger and freight trains, community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region Baku Metro, air transport, maritime transport, of Azerbaijan could never occupy Azerbaijani settlements, civil and public facilities). These territories without the assistance from abroad. terrorist attacks killed 1,200 and injured 1,705 Thus, under the pretext of implementing the people (6, p.158-159). idea of "self-determination" Armenians seized The aggressive policy of the Armenian a corridor linking the Nagorno-Karabakh armed forces was accompanied by mass region of Azerbaijan with Armenia. The slaughters. Thus, in the years 1988-1993 as a occupation of Lachin demonstrated that the result of a military aggression of Armenia war moved beyond the territory of the more than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, Nagorno-Karabakh and that annexation over 100,000 people were injured and 50,000 ambitions of Armenia are high. Through this people became disabled. During the conflict road, which the Armenians called "a 4,853 people went missing, 1,357 of them humanitarian corridor" to the Nagorno- were released and 783 are still in captivity in Karabakh, they transported huge quantity of Armenia. According to the International arms, ammunition and military force. Committee of the Cross, 439 people were The Armenian armed forces, helped by their killed in captivity (10, p. 157). sponsors, managed to create a mono-ethnic state Genocide committed by Armenians in the and in addition to the Nagorno-Karabakh late 20th century in Khojaly, is regarded as one occupied Lachin, , Agdam, Fizuli, of the most serious crimes against humanity Jabrail, Gubadli and regions of and civilization. In the history of humanity, the Azerbaijan, which are located outside of the Khojaly tragedy is comparable to tragedies in Nagorno-Karabakh region (4,400 square Khatyn, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, My Lai,

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Rwanda, Srebrenica, as well as the Holocaust, 1907, 1918-1920, 1948-1953, and finally, in which will never be erased from historical 1988-1993. The aggressor state has been memory. These massacres are considered the conducting the expansionist policy for more acts of genocide against the civilian population than 20 years before the eyes of the whole and caused a wide resonance in the world. world. Therefore, the Republic of Azerbaijan, The true nature of this monstrous genocide guided by the abovementioned Convention, has was discovered only after the return of national all legal grounds to sue the Republic of Armenia leader to political power in in the UN International Court of Justice. 1993. In February 1994, the Milli Majlis of the The aggressor Armenia took a non­ Azerbaijan Republic gave Khojaly genocide a constructive attitude to the negotiations on the legal and political assessment. In addition, in settlement of the conflict and does not abandon accordance with March 26 1998 decree of its policy of occupation. On the other hand, national leader Heydar Aliyev, March 31 was inactivity of international organizations such declared the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis, as UN and OSCE in ensuring the fulfillment commemorating the numerous acts of of their own proposals and resolutions impedes genocide committed by Armenians against the progress in the talks. In addition, over these people of Azerbaijan. years the OSCE Minsk Group and its co-chair December 18 1997 decree of the national countries have had a double standard and leader "On the mass deportation of irresponsible approach to the conflict and Azerbaijanis from their historical and ethnic never intended to exert any pressure on the lands in the territory of the Armenian SSR in aggressor. The fact that no practical measures 1948-1953" is important from the standpoint of have been taken to stop the aggressor Annenia a comprehensively studying the deportation of both undermined the OSCE's image and Azerbaijanis from the territory of the Armenian dashed all hopes on its Minsk Group. SSR, giving a political and legal assessment to Despite all these facts the Azerbaijani state this crime and bringing it to the attention of the respects peace-building proposals of international community. These decrees are international organizations, especially the important both for the study of the bloody OSCE, which works to find a peaceful solution pages of our history, and also for the exposure to the dispute, and the country is regularly and of Armenian nationalism and terrorism. practically involved in its activities. This Under the international law, genocide is the testifies to Azerbaijan's giving preference to a act against peace and humanity, and is peaceful option in the negotiations to solve the considered the most serious crime. This was conflict. recognized by the UN General Assembly Azerbaijan's stance in the settlement of the resolution 260 (III) on December 9, 1948 and conflict is unambiguous. That is, the problem the 1951 Convention on the Prevention and must be resolved only within Azerbaijan's Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which territorial integrity and internationally secured the legal basis of the crime of recognized borders of the country. This genocide. During the Armenian aggression position is based on the principles and norms against Azerbaijan all acts of genocide of international law, the UN Charter, the reflected in the Convention were applied to the Helsinki Final Act and a number of Azerbaijanis. international documents on the conflict. At the Another fact supporting the sustainability of same time, the documents of all international the criminal policy of Armenia, in the 20th organizations on a peaceful settlement of the century alone the Azerbaijanis were subjected conflict cement Azerbaijan's position and to genocide and ethnic cleansing committed by confirm that the problem must be solved based Armenian nationalists four times - in 1905- on the principles of international law. In this

■ 102 ■ ■ Yanvar - Fevral ■ Mart ■ ■ Dövlət idarəçiliyi: nəzəriyyə və təcrübə ■ respect, four UN Security Council resolutions Summit unequivocally support the territorial (822, 853, 874, 884) and the decisions of the integrity of Azerbaijan, and demand putting an OSCE, Council of Europe and the end to the occupation. Organization of Islamic Cooperation are also Therefore, super powers must prevent the of pivotal importance, and lay a legal aggressor, who threatens modem international framework for the protection of Azerbaijan's relations, take resolute practical steps in fair stance on the international level. However, accordance with the Chapter 7 of the UN the decisions recently made at the meetings of Charter and force Armenia to follow the will the European Parliament and the NATO of the international community.

References:

1. Azərbaycan tarixi. Sənədlər və nəşrlər azərbaycanlıları və onların acı taleyi (qısa üzrə,- Bakı, 1990,- 384 s. tarixi oçerk).- Bakı, 1992,- 72 s. 2. Azərbaycan tarixi üzrə qaynaqlar /Tərtib­ 16. Nəcəfov B. Azərbaycan Demokratik çilər: S.Əliyarov, F.Mahmudov və b..- Respublikası (daxili və xarici siyasət).- Bakı, 1989.- 328 s. Bakı, 1992,- 77 s. 3. Arzumanlı V., Mustafa N. Tarixin qara 17. Грибоедов А. Записка о переселении səhifələri. Deportasiya. Soyqırım. армян из Персии в наши области Qaçqınlıq,- Bakı, 1998,- 280 s. //История Азербайджана по документам 4. Azərbaycan Xalq Cümhuriyyəti Ensiklo­ и публикациям,- Баку, 1990,- с. 56-59. pediyası: iki cilddə.- Bakı, 2004,- Cild I.- 18. К истории образования Нагорно- 440 s. Карабахской Автономной области 5. Azərbaycanlıların soyqırımı haqqında (8 Азербайджанской CCR 1918-1925: dildə). Bakı, 1998,- 120 s. Документы и материалы,- Баку, 1989.- 6. Erməni cinayətləri,- Bakı, 2003.- Cild I.- 334 с. 159 s. 19. Мустафаев Р. Марши смерти. Преступ­ 7. Erməni terroru = Armenian terror = ления армянства против еврейского Армянский террор.- Bakı, 2007,- 168 s. народа,- Москва, 2008.- 69 с. 8. Əhmədov E. Ermənistanın Azərbaycana 20. Помпеев Ю. Кровавый омут Карабаха,- təcavüzü: təhlili xronika (1987-2011-ci Баку, 1992,- 208 с. illər).-Bakı, 2012,-912 s. 21. Постановление Совета Министров 9. İsgəndərli A. Azərbaycan həqiqətləri: СССР Хе 4083 от 23 декабря 1947 года 1917-1920,-Bakı, 2012,- 228 s. “О переселении колхозников и другого 10. Hacıyev N. Dağlıq Qarabağın tarixindən азербайджанского населения из sənədlər.- Bakı, 2005,- 192 s. Армянской ССР в Кура-Араксинскую 11. Xəlilov X. Qarabağın elat dünyası,- Bakı, низменность Азербайджанской ССР”. 1992,- 119 s. Архив ЦСИ МИД АР. 12. Mahmudov Y., Şükürov K. Qarabağ. Real 22. Постановление Совета Министров tarix, faktlar, sənədlər,- Bakı, 2005.- 380 s. СССР № 754 от 10 марта 1948 года “О 13. Mehdiyev R. Gorus - 2010: absurd teatrı мероприятиях по переселению колхоз­ mövsümü.- Bakı, 2010,- 96 s. ников и другого азербайджанского 14. Məmmədov X., Məmmədov N. Türkiyədə населения из Армянской ССР в Кура- və Azərbaycanda erməni millətçilərinin Араксинскую низменность Азербай­ cinayətləri,- Bakı, 2006,- 215 s. джанской ССР”. Архив ЦСИ МИД 15. Məmmədov İ., Əsədov S. Ermənistan АР.

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23. Преступления армянских террористи­ 31. The beginning of the Garabagh conflict. ческих и бандитских формирований presents. The против человечества (XIX-XXI вв.).- series of “The true facts about Garabagh”.- Баку, 2002,- 395 с. Baku, 2005,- 12 p. 24. События вокруг ИКАО в кривом 32. The Khojaly Genoside. Heydar Aliyev зеркале фальсификаторов (Сборник Foundation presents. The series of “The материалов).- Баку, 1989,- 92 с. true facts about Garabagh”.- Baku, 2005,- 25. Ходжалы. Хроника геноцида,- Баку, 12 p. 1993, - 144 с. 33. Rau J. The Nagorno Karabakh conflict 26. Трагедия, виновников которой невоз­ between Armenia and Azerbaijan. A brief можно оправдать /Доклад Московского Historical Outline.- Berlin, 2008,- 96 p. правозащитного центра Мемориал о 34. UN General Assembly Resolution массовых нарушениях прав человека, A/RES/3/260. “Prevention and Punishment связанных с занятием населенного of the Crime of Genocide”. 9 December пункта Ходжалы в ночь с 25 на 26 1948 - http://www.un-documents.net / февраля 1992 г. вооруженными фор­ a3r260.htm. мированиями.- Баку, 1992.- 16 с. 35. http://president.az 27. Шавров Н. Новая угроза русскому делу 36. http://meclis.gov.az в Закавказье: Предстоящая распродажа 37. http://mfa.gov.az Мугани инородцам,- Баку, 1990,- 156 с. 38. http://heydar-aliyev-foundation.org 28. Aggression of the Republic of Armenia 39. http://aliyev-heritage.org against the Republic of Azerbaijan.- Baku, 40. http://preslib.az 1994, -28 p. 41. http://khojaly.preslib.az 29. Brief information of the history of 42. http://azertag.com Garabagh. Heydar Aliyev Foundation 43. http://anl.az presents. The series of “The true facts 44. http://anl.az/xocali about Garabagh”.- Baku, 2005,- 12 p. 45. http://refugees-idps-comittee.gov.az 30. Consequences of Armenian aggression 46. http://azerbaijan.az against Azerbaijan. Heydar Aliyev 47. http://justiceforkhojaly.com Foundation presents. The series of “The 48. http://3lmart.wordpress.com true facts about Garabagh”.- Baku, 2005.- 49. http://iravan.com 12 p. 50. http://virtualkarabakh.az

Key words: Aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, territorial claims, ethnic cleansing, terror, genocide, occupation

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Əli Həsənov Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezidentinin ictimai-siyasi məsələlər üzrə köməkçisi, tarix elmləri doktoru, professor

31 MART SOYQIRIMI ERMƏNİSTANIN AZƏRBAYCANLILARA QARŞI ETNİK TƏMİZLƏMƏ SİYASƏTİNİN ƏN QANLI SƏHİLƏSİDİR

XÜLASƏ

Məqalədə son iki əsrdə azərbaycanlılara qarşı erməni millətçiləri tərəfindən məqsədyönlü şəkildə həyata keçirilən etnik təmizləmə, soyqırımı və təcavüzkarlıq siyasəti geniş təhlil edilir. Mənbələrə əsasən məqalədə təsdiq edilir ki, erməni millətçilərinin təcavüzkar siyasəti nəticəsində təkcə XX əsrdə azərbaycanlılar 4 dəfə - 1905-1906-cı, 1918-1920-ci, 1948-1953-cü və 1988-1993-cü illərdə erməni millətçiləri tərəfindən törədilən soyqırımı və etnik təmizləmələrə məruz qalmışdır. 1918-1920-ci illərdə ermənilər tərəfindən törədilmiş kütləvi qırğınların Bakı, , Şamaxı, Kürdəmir, Lənkəranla yanaşı, Şuşada, İrəvan quberniyası ərazisində, Zəngəzurda, Naxçıvanda, Şərurda, Ordubadda, Qarsda və başqa bölgələrdə davam etdirilməsi nəticəsində yüz minlərlə azərbaycanlının ən qəddar üsullarla qətlə yetirilməsi məqalədə faktlara əsasən təhlil edilir. Bununla yanaşı, məqalədə göstərilir ki, 1988-1993-cü illərdə, mono-etnik dövlət yaratmağa nail olan Ermənistan Respublikası Azərbaycana qarşı açıq-aşkar təcavüzkarlıq siyasəti yeritmiş, nəticədə dinc sakinlər qətlə yetirilmiş, yaşayış məntəqələri dağıdılmış, talan edilmiş və yandırılmışdır. Eyni zamanda, məqalədə XX əsrin sonunda ermənilərin Xocalıda törətdikləri soyqırımı bütün insanlığa və bəşəriyyətə qarşı yönəldilmiş ən ağır cinayətlərdən biri kimi qiymətləndirilir.

Açar sözlər: Ermənistanın Azərbaycana təcavüzü, ərazi iddiaları, etnik təmizləmə, terror, soyqırımı, işğal

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Али Гасанов Помощник Президента Азербайджанской Республики по общественно-политическим вопросам, доктор исторических наук, профессор

ГЕНОЦИД 31 МАРТА ЯВЛЯЕТСЯ САМОЙ КРОВАВОЙ СТРАНИЦЕЙ ПОЛИТИКИ ЭТНИЧЕСКОЙ ЧИСТКИ АРМЕНИИ ПРОТИВ АЗЕРБАЙДЖАНЦЕВ

РЕЗЮМЕ

В статье широко исследуются этнические чистки, геноцид, захватническая политика, целенаправленно совершенные в течение последних двух веков со стороны армянских националистов против азербайджанцев. На основе источников в статье доказывается, что в результате захватнической политики армянских националистов только в XX веке азербайджанцы 4 раза подверглись геноциду и этническим чисткам: 1905-1906, 1918-1920, 1948-1953 и 1988-1993 гг. В статье на основе фактов исследуется убийство сотен тысяч азербайджанцев, осуществленное самым жестоким образом в результате массовых погромов со стороны армян в 1918-1920-х годах в Баку, Губе, Шамахе, Кюрдамире, Лянкяране, а также в Шуше, Эриванской губернии, Зангезуре, Нахчыване, Шаруре, Ордубаде, Карсе и других регионах. Наряду с этим, в статье указывается, что Армянская Республика, которой удалось создать моноэтническое государство, в 1988-1993 гг. открыто осуществила захватническую политику против Азербайджана, в результате чего были убиты мирные жители, разрушены и сожжены населенные пункты. Помимо этого, учиненный армянами в конце XX века в Ходжалы геноцид расценивается в статье как самое тяжелое преступление, направленное против всего человечества.

Ключевые слова: агрессия Армении против Азербайджана, территориальные претен­ зии, этнические чистки, террор, геноцид, оккупация

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