Armenia commits genocide in Agdaban to break Azerbaijani people’s will Villagers’ open letter / PHOTO

Agdaban villagers and members of Azerbaijani non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have addressed to the international community through an open letter on the eve of the 32nd anniversary of the massacre in Agdaban village of the Kalbajar district.

“We, Azerbaijani civilians, who saw the genocide committed by Armenian armed units on April 7-8, 1992 in Agdaban village of the Kalbajar district, are witnesses of the massacre, people who lost family members, relatives and houses in this massacre, representatives of the Azerbaijani civil society, are addressing you through an open letter. We demand justice!” Report informs citing the letter.

According to the letter, during Armenia’s massacre against civilians after the Khojaly genocide, more than 130 houses were burned in Agdaban village of the Kalbajar district, at night on April 7, 1992, and 779 civilians of the village were severely tortured.

During this massacre, 67 people were brutally killed, eight old people aged 90-100, two young children and seven women were burned alive. Two were missing while five people were taken hostage.

During the tragedy, manuscripts and examples of the cultural heritage of prominent representatives of Azerbaijani ashiq art (folk music) were destroyed. Ashiq (folk singer poet) Shamshir and his father, the poet from Agdaban Gurban, Ashiq Shamshir's grandson were burned alive.

"Today we are at our hearth - in Agdaban. We are addressing you from a village that was completely destroyed by Armenia during the occupation. The graves in the rural cemetery, including the tombstone of Ashiq Shamshir, have been destroyed. The mines have been planted on the cemeteries," the letter says.

During the occupation, Armenia destroyed mosques on the Azerbaijani territory, kept pigs and cattle in sanctuaries, and demolished dozens of mosques. These acts of vandalism are unacceptable in any religion.

It is the result of acts of genocide and crimes committed in the once occupied territories of Azerbaijan that

Today dozens of mass graves are revealed in the liberated territories. This testifies to the acts of genocide and crimes committed in the former occupied Azerbaijani territories.

"We are outraged by the provision of Armenia with weapons by France and the EU under the pretext of the European Peace Facility, as well as by their support for revanchism. We reject these actions, approaches to the territorial integrity amid double standards, we consider these steps as activity against the Azerbaijani people and Azerbaijan! We know well that the massacre in Agdaban, as well as the genocide in Khojaly, Mashali, Gushchular, Malibayli, Garadaghli, Balligaya, Bashlibel, were committed to break the spirit of our people, who defended their native land during the aggression of the Armenian armed forces against Azerbaijan, undermine the Azerbaijani people’s will to fight and carry out ethnic cleansing," the letter says.

The several decades left behind, the 44-day second Karabakh war of 2020, as well as the anti-terrorist operation of September 19-20, 2023, showed that all these attempts could not break the strong will of the Azerbaijani people.

"We, representatives of the Agdaban community and the Azerbaijani civil society, are proud of our president, victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev. As a result of his decisive policy and wise leadership, Azerbaijan independently implemented UN resolutions. Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty were fully ensured. The Azerbaijani people realised their most cherished dream. We fully support and welcome Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s policy!” the letter says.

The letter was signed by the people mentioned below:

Khalifa Huseynov – resident of Agdaban

Durra Gurbanova – resident of Agdaban

Aligulu Aliyev - resident of Agdaban

Bahman Baghirov - resident of Agdaban

Rafig Maharramov - resident of Agdaban

Zahid Humbatov – resident of Agdaban

Nasimi Safarov - resident of Agdaban

Shahin Ahmadov – resident of Agdaban

Saledin Karimov - resident of Agdaban

Reyhan Gasimova – resident of Agdaban

Tabriz Aliyev - resident of Agdaban

Leyla Huseynova – resident of Agdaban

Sabay Orujov – resident of Agdaban

Azim Huseynov – resident of Agdaban

Sarvan Safarov – resident of Agdaban

Eyvaz Orujov – resident of Agdaban

Tapdig Gasimov – resident of Agdaban

Yashar Mammadov – resident of Agdaban

Ershad Garashov – resident of Agdaban

Giyas Alyev – resident of Agdaban

Azer Bayramov – resident of Agdaban

Gulara Huseynova – resident of Agdaban

Habil Mammadov – resident of Agdaban

Samaddin Valiyev – resident of Agdaban

Sevinj Alizada – “Zafar” Public Union for Supporting Martyrs' Families

Ramil Iskandarli - The Legal Analysis and Research Public Union

Konul Behbudova - “Karabakh Missing Families” Public Union

Ayshan Huseynova - The Public Union for Dissemination of Realities about Genocide

Sariyya Jafarova – The Public Union for Informing about Armenian Aggression

Khalid Kazimov - Regional Human Rights and Media Centre Public Union

Jeyran Azizova – The Public Union for the Recognition of the Khojaly Genocide

Naiba Behbudova - “Gurur” Charitable Public Union of Martyrs' Families

Tunzale Abdulalimova - "In the Name of the Motherland" Public Union for Supporting Martyrs' Families 

Jeyran Hasanova - "Support for Mothers of Martyrs" Public Union

Rashad Mehdiyev – “Gilavar Photo Club” Public Union.