Guba, March 31, AZERTAC

A national research conference on the 100th anniversary of the Genocide of Azerbaijanis was held in Guba. The conference, themed “Lessons of genocides”, started with the screening of “Guba genocide” film.

Addressing the event, vice president of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Isa Habibbayli spoke of the hardships faced by the Azerbaijani people in the past 200 years. “Massacre of Azerbaijanis, repressions and expulsion of our fellow countrymen from their homelands are the most painful tragedies of Azerbaijanis in the 20th century,” he said.

The Azerbaijani President`s Assistant for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov then addressed the conference.

Highlighting the works regarding the centenary of the Genocide of Azerbaijanis and Guba Genocide Memorial Complex, Ali Hasanov said that on January 18, 2018, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed an Order on commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the 1918 Genocide of Azerbaijanis. “According to the Order, the head of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan approved the Action Plan to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1918 Genocide of Azerbaijanis.”

“The plan envisages holding conferences, seminars, round tables, lectures, competitions, exhibitions, the screening of documentary films, organization of flash mobs and other events both within the country and abroad, as well as the adoption of resolutions, and wide awareness raising campaign through placement of articles and other promotional materials in the mass media and through social networks, and etc.”

“In essence, the 1918 Genocide was one of most serious challenges the Azerbaijani people faced on their the path of establishing Azerbaijan Democratic Republic,” said the President’s Assistant. He noted that “despite the relentless massacres and severe losses, the Azerbaijani people stood the test of the history and managed to take their destiny into their own hands, restore control over their lands and established the first independent republic in the East”. “Two months later, the country will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. On May 16, 2017, the President of Azerbaijan signed a special Order on centenary celebration of this event at the state level. This Order opens up new opportunities for gaining greater knowledge of our history,” Ali Hasanov said. “I must note that the materials collected by the Special Investigation Commission set up by the Government of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic constitute the most fundamental source on the crimes committed by the Armenian-Bolshevik armed units in March-April 1918 and in the following period. Unfortunately, the collapse of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic hindered efforts to bring the evidence and facts revealed by the Special Investigation Commission to the attention of the world community and ensure legal and political recognition of those events. However, this in no way downplays the significance of the work undertaken both by Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the Special Investigation Commission,” said Ali Hasanov.

“The people of Azerbaijan were subjected to numerous crimes of genocide, massacres, deportation, ethnic cleansing and terror in the early last century. But unfortunately it was impossible to ensure legal and political recognition of these events. And the reason is that each time the Armenian nationalists committed their crimes in alliance with their patrons and the central government. This was the case in 1905-1907, 1918-1920, 1948-1953 and in the ensuing years. This is why evidence of the genocide was hidden and distorted, heavy administrative and ideological restrictions were imposed on any researches in this area. This paved the way for the another wave of the Armenian chauvinism in the late 1980s-early 1990s, and the people of Azerbaijan faced new hardships, deportation, ethnic cleansing, occupation, and a terrible tragedy such as Khojaly genocide.”

“Only in the years of independence we had the opportunity to build up a true picture of the history of our nation and ensure political and legal recognition of the crimes of genocide repeatedly committed against the Azerbaijani people. The Order "On the genocide of Azerbaijanis" signed by national leader Heydar Aliyev on March 26, 1998, is of great historical significance in this regard. The Order recognized all the tragic events accompanied by the occupation of Azerbaijani lands, massacres, deportations and ethnic cleansing since the beginning of the 19th century to present day as "separate stages of the deliberate and organized genocide policy carried out by the Armenians against the Azerbaijanis", and proclaimed March 31 as the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis,” Ali Hasanov stressed.

“On the initiative of the national leader Heydar Aliyev, the Khojaly genocide also received its political and legal recognition, and February 26 was declared the Day of Khojaly genocide. Thanks to the international campaign "Justice for Khojaly!" initiated by the Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva, millions of people around the world have been broadly informed about the real facts of the tragedy since 2008. More than twenty US states, 16 other countries, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have already recognized and condemned the Khojaly genocide either at the government or parliament level.”

Touching upon the importance of the research conference, Ali Hasanov said: "Today's national research conference not only exposes the actions of the Armenian nationalists committed against humanity, but also should be considered as a great contribution of our country`s academic community to the Azerbaijani government`s purposeful policy to prevent repetition of such massacres and ensure peace and security of its people,” Ali Hasanov added.