Sumgayit massacres were also genocide...

Interview with the dean of the Department of History of YSU, Doctor of History,  professor Edik Minasyan.

1. Mr. Minasyan, 23 years have passed since Sumgayit Massacres but there are many questions without answers connected with those events. Let’s turn to those days of February 1988.

E.M. - On the 27th of February 1988 in answer to the right of legal self-determination of NKAO the Authorities of the Soviet Azerbaijan profiting the rabble situation fulfilled their barbarian program. Various facts prove that it was really previously planned by the special indications of the officials. Remember what answer gave Gorbochov to the Armenian writers Silva Kaputikyan, Zori Balayan, when they turned to the latter on the question of the self-determination of NK. Gorbachov asked them if they were not afraid for the Armenian community consisting of 270.000 population. The massacres took place in the period of February 27-29. According to the official data in that period there were 32 victims, but in mortuaries more than 100 victims were found.

Soviet court sentenced only one person, but no one from the real staff beginning from the secretary, mayor, officials of the Central Committee took the responsibility. Only 30 of 94 criminal affairs were formed, and only one person was sentenced to death. The subdivisions of the Armed forces of USSR with 3 days retardation entered the city. Sumgayit was an industrial city, where the Armenians were the majority. The massacre which was realized in order to frighten the Armenians and to make them refuse their legal demands was the precedent for the later massacres of Armenians of Baku and Kirovabad.

2. Do Sumgayit massacres correspond with the points of the agreement about “The prevention of the genocide and the punishment for that crime” accepted by UNO on December 9 1948. 

E.M. - In the agreement is clearly underlined the fact of ethnic cleansing and divesting living conditions of special ethnic groups. Any act of condemning ethnic belonging is evaluated as genocide. It is clear that Sumgayit massacres correspond to the phenomenon called genocide at all points.

3. Till now what kind of steps have been taken in the International Advisory Boards for the recognition of Sumgayit massacres.

E.M. – We need to give political - legal appraisal to these massacres, to raise the question in the corresponding International Advisory Boards and pursue the final solution. We can join Sumgayit massacres and Baku massacres and apply to the Hague international court. We won’t solve the problem by condemning the so- called “Ahmedov”. Drawing parallels with the Armenian Genocide we must remember that till 1973 Turks gave monetary prize to the families of Qemal, Enver and other leaders who took part in the program of the Armenian destruction. It was also the result of impunity. I’m sure that nowadays the threats of war of Azerbaijan just come from that impunity.

4. Why don’t we take more active steps for this purpose?

E.M. - We have the appropriate specialists, historians, lawyers, but we need activity. I think that we can also include foreign specialists in this action and take practical steps as it is done in the condemnation of the Armenian genocide.