Maragha massacre: 21 years later
On the morning of April 10, 1992, Azerbaijani armed groupings invaded the Maraga village of Martakert region, killing ethnic Armenian civilians, including women, children and elderly.
Armenia's former Ombudsman Larisa Alaverdyan says the slaughter was organized against the peaceful inhabitants.
She still remembers the cruel day when Azerbaijanis destroyed and burned the village, torturing and murdering residents. More than 50 people were reportedly killed and some 60 were taken hostage.
"Maragha was a big village which was 1-2 kilometers away from the city of Barda. In contrast to other mountainous settlements, Maragha was comparatively unprotected. The village had a population of 5,000 who were instructed to flee," she said.
"When we say that 50 residents of the village were brutally killed and another 59 taken hostage during the tragedy, it does not mean that Maragha was a small village. These were the civilians who remained in the village, mainly the elderly and the disabled, who hid in basements and underground shelters," she continued.
When speaking about the massacre, Larisa Alaverdyan focused on two important features: the massacre was committed against the civilian population of the village and under the leadership of modern Azerbaijan.
