BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 7. The community of
Aghdaban and representatives of Azerbaijani NGOs have made an appeal to
the international community through an open letter, as reported by Trend.
“We, peaceful Azerbaijanis who were victims of a genocide by
Armenian military units in the village of Aghdaban in the Kalbajar
district on April 7-8, 1992, including eyewitnesses of the
massacre, those who lost their loved ones, relatives, and
homes, as well as members of Azerbaijan’s civil society,
are reaching out to you with an open letter to demand justice!
Following the Khojaly genocide, over 130 homes
were destroyed, and 779 villagers were killed during the attack
by Armenia on the civilian population in Aghdaban village of the Kalbajar
district on April 8, 1992. In this tragic event, 32 individuals lost their lives, including eight elderly
individuals, two children, and seven women who were burned alive. Two people
were reported missing and five were taken captive.
During the massacre, the manuscripts and collections of Ashiq
Shamshir and his father, the renowned Azerbaijan Ashiq artist Gurban, were
destroyed. Ashiq Shamshir’s grandson was also killed in the attack.
Presently, we are in our hometown of Aghdaban, speaking to you
from a village that was completely devastated by Armenia during
the occupation. All graves in the village cemetery were desecrated,
including the grave of Ashiq Shamshir, and booby-trapped. Armenia also
destroyed mosques in Azerbaijani territory, using them to house
livestock, and demolished numerous mosques. Such acts of vandalism
are unacceptable in any religion or belief system.
As a result of the genocide and crimes committed in the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan, numerous mass graves are still
being uncovered in the liberated areas.
We strongly condemn France and the European Union for supplying arms to Armenia under the guise of a European peace initiative, as well as any support for the resurgence of vengeful sentiments in Armenia. We reject these actions and the double standards applied to the issue of territorial integrity, viewing them as detrimental to the people and nation of Azerbaijan!
We understand that the Aghdaban genocide, along with the genocides in Khojaly, Meshali, Gushchular, Malibayli,
Garadaghli, Balligaya, and Bashlibel, were orchestrated to weaken the resolve of our people who defended their homeland during Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan, to undermine their fighting spirit, and to carry out ethnic cleansing.
The recent events, including the 44-day war in 2020 and the anti-terror operation on September 19-20, 2023, have demonstrated that these actions have not broken the unyielding determination of the Azerbaijani people.
We, as representatives of the Aghdaban community and civil society
of Azerbaijan, are proud of the Victorious Commander-in-Chief and
President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. Thanks to his decisive
policies and wise leadership, Azerbaijan has successfully implemented UN resolutions,
restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty, and fulfilled the dreams of its people. We wholeheartedly support and commend President Ilham Aliyev’s policies!,” the letter concluded.
