We Will Not Allow New Attempts of Armenian Genocide or Forced Displacement, Says Nikol Pashinyan

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's remarks on the 30th anniversary of the anti-Armenian pogroms in Baku.

Dear compatriots,

Today we commemorate the eternal memory of the victims of the pogroms, ethnic cleansing, and mass displacements of Armenians in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Thirty years ago, the international community witnessed and condemned the massacres of the Armenian population in Baku.

As a result of the ongoing policy of oppression and ethnic cleansing, following the crime in Sumgait, by 1990, only 35,000 to 40,000 of the 250,000-strong Armenian community in Baku remained, primarily elderly and vulnerable individuals. Their subsequent fate was even more tragic: hundreds were killed, mutilated, or went missing, and tens of thousands were displaced. Such was the aftermath of the anti-Armenian pogroms that raged in Baku for about a week.

The Armenians of Baku did not pose any threat to Azerbaijan, its authorities, or political forces. They simply wanted to continue living in their ancestral homeland. Nevertheless, they were perceived as a threat by Azerbaijan solely due to their ethnic origin.

Armenians had lived in Baku for centuries, contributing to the city’s true multicultural identity. In the 19th century, they played a significant role in the establishment and development of the city’s oil industry. The contribution of Armenians to the development of the city during the Soviet era is also invaluable.

Thirty years later, in Azerbaijan, there is no respect or sympathy for the victims of the Baku anti-Armenian pogroms. The few voices that have had the courage to mention the tragedy inflicted upon the Armenians of Baku in literary works have been condemned and officially labeled as traitors.

Even today, those who perpetrated atrocities against defenseless people are considered heroes in Azerbaijan, and their crimes are viewed as glorious pages in the struggle for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

Regrettably, we must state that the past three decades in Azerbaijan have not been a period of rethinking, reconciliation, or achieving peace. During this time, we have witnessed attempts to annihilate the population of Artsakh, the release and glorification of Ramil Safarov, who was punished for murder, and the brutal torture and killing of elderly and defenseless individuals in the border areas of Artsakh in April 2016. Hatred against Armenians has become state policy and belief in Azerbaijan.

Dear compatriots,

Today, we express our gratitude to all international organizations and parliamentary bodies that have responded to and documented these events, condemning them and bringing them to the attention of the world.

Bowing our heads in memory of our innocent victims, I declare with full responsibility that we will not allow new attempts of Armenian genocide or forced displacement. The Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Artsakh, and all Armenians around the world will collectively invest all their resources to ensure the right of the Armenian people to exist and develop peacefully in their historic homeland, including in Artsakh.