Statement by the Foreign Ministry of Armenia on the 31st anniversary of the anti-Armenian massacres in Baku

“31 years ago, the international community witnessed another crime against the Armenian population of Azerbaijan: the Armenian population which was an essential part of then Baku’s multicultural identity was subjected to the massacres and mass deportation carried out with particular cruelty. There were hundreds murdered, maimed, missing, tens of thousands of refugees. The anti-Armenian massacres in Baku of January, 1990, completed the ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population of Azerbaijan.

The anti-Armenian policy of the authorities of Azerbaijan targeted not only the Armenian population living and prospering in Baku for centuries, but also the Armenian historical-cultural heritage of the city.

So far, the masterminds and perpetrators of the anti-Armenian massacres in Baku have not been held accountable, and they continue to be glorified as heroes.

Moreover, to date, Azerbaijan continues the very policy of ethnic cleansing and annihilating Armenians in Artsakh. A vivid evidence of that is the wiping out of the entire Armenian population from the territories that fell under the Azerbaijani control, which was carried out through massive war crimes and ethnic cleansing.

Today by paying tribute to the innocent victims of the anti-Armenian massacres in Baku, we once again emphasize the joint commitment of the Republic of Armenia, Artsakh and the Armenians all over the world to ensure the right of all Armenians to free, secure and dignified life in their homeland.”