Sumgait Massacres Were a Response to the Artsakh People's Inalienable Right to Dignified Life in Their Historical Homeland: Armenian Foreign Ministry

The Armenian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement on the 33rd anniversary of the anti-Armenian massacres in Sumgait, which we present below.

“33 years ago, from February 27 to 29, 1988, due to the incitement of the Azerbaijani authorities and the law enforcement agencies' negligence, mass premeditated massacres against Armenians were carried out in the city of Sumgait. Hundreds of Armenians were killed, including women, children, and the elderly, while thousands of Armenians were forcibly displaced.

The Sumgait massacres were a response to the assertion of the Artsakh people's inalienable right to live a dignified and secure life in their historical homeland and their intention to realize their right to self-determination. In contrast to the attempts to realize human rights, Azerbaijan resorted to a policy of collective punishment, subjecting the Armenian population of the city to brutal torture and violence.

The atrocities in Sumgait marked the beginning of ethnic cleansing and mass murders of Armenians in other cities of Azerbaijan, including Baku and Ganja. Moreover, the unequivocal justification of such crimes, the encouraged anti-Armenian rhetoric, and the glorification of murderers for killing Armenians found expression in the Azerbaijani authorities' efforts to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through the use of force.

Last year, on September 27, the large-scale war unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh and its people was accompanied by similar crimes against Armenian identity, with the difference that the killings of civilians were carried out not by a mob but by Azerbaijani armed forces and showcased online.

Led by a sense of impunity, the Azerbaijani armed forces committed numerous violations of international humanitarian law and human rights during the 44-day war, which constitute mass atrocities, including ethnic cleansing and war crimes. Remaining faithful to the tactics of terrorist groups, the Azerbaijani armed forces perpetrated atrocities against prisoners of war and civilians, barbarically destroying historical and cultural monuments and desecrating shrines.

Executions of Armenian prisoners of war and civilians in Hadrut and other settlements of Artsakh that came under Azerbaijani military control were a result of the prior impunity regarding committed crimes.

Today, honoring the innocent victims of the Armenian massacres in Sumgait, we once again emphasize the commitment of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Artsakh, and the entire Armenian nation to live freely, independently, and with dignity in their historical homeland.”