Shame on Azerbaijani authorities who carry out genocides
On February 28, Armenia commemorates the 23rd anniversary of the Armenian pogroms in Sumgait.
Twenty-three years ago the Azerbaijani authorities started the annihilation of the Armenian population of the city of Sumgait 20 kilometers away from Baku.
Representatives of about 40 international organizations accredited in Armenia today held a protest march to the UN Yerevan Office, chanting "Recognition," "Compensation," "Shame."
They conveyed a letter to the Office demanding the international community to condemn the Armenian massacres carried out by Azerbaijani nationals between 1988 and 1990 and to give political evaluation to the events.
A representative of the UN Yerevan Office promised the protesters to forward the letter to the United Nations Headquarters, Alexander Ter-Hovakimyan, Executive Director of the Pan-Armenian Youth Center Foundation, told A1+.
The protesters also gave copies of the letter to different embassies in Armenia.
"Today Azerbaijan tries to slur over the Armenian pogroms. Moreover, they lay the blame on Armenia saying it was Armenians who organized the killings. This is inadmissible for us and we are raising our claims before Azerbaijan," said Alexander Ter-Hovakimyan.
The neglect of the Sumgait pogroms led to new Armenian massacres in 1990 which left hundreds of Armenians killed in Baku. The youth condemns similar crimes and calls on the international community to prevent their repetition," said Vahe Grigoryan, a student of State Engineering University of Armenia.
Representatives of "Nikol Aghbalyan" Students Union, "Miasin" Youth Movement and youth and student organizations also participated in the march.
"Unrecognized genocides give birth to new genocides," they said.
As a result of a 3-day rampage, carried out by Azerbaijani nationals in February 1988 dozens of Armenians were killed, many of them were burned alive after being brutally beaten and tortured. Hundreds of innocent people received injuries of different severity and became physically impaired. Many women, including under-age girls, were, raped.
