Thirty-five years pass since Sumgayit events

Today marks the 35th anniversary of the Sumgayit events.

As a result of the riots in Azerbaijan’s Sumgayit city at night from February 27 to 28, 1988, 32 people were killed, 26 of whom were Armenians, and six Azerbaijanis, Caliber.Az recalls.

Subsequently, it was proved that the Sumgayit events were organised by Armenian nationalists. Groups of Armenian provocateurs fluent in the Azerbaijani language - residents of Sumgayit, played a special role in committing the pogroms.

These events were part of a scenario organised by the USSR State Security Committee together with the Armenians. An Armenian, previously convicted Eduard Grigoryan was chosen as the organiser of the pogroms. Azerbaijani Ahmad Ahmadov, who was accused of organising the Sumgayit events, was sentenced to death, but according to eyewitness accounts, it was proven that the main organiser was an Armenian Eduard Grigoryan.

During the Sumgayit tragedy, hundreds of Azerbaijani families risked their lives to save their Armenian neighbours from an angry mob.

The then chairman of the Committee for State Security (KGB) Chairman Vladimir Kryuchkov admitted that Moscow was also involved in organising the events. Those groups, patronised by the KGB, caused riots in various parts of the city. It was they who killed 26 people of Armenian nationality.

The army units that entered the town under the command of General Kraevin watched from the sidelines and did not intervene until February 29. As a result, six Azerbaijanis were killed under the tracks of tanks, 400 people were injured, 200 houses were looted, 50 cultural facilities were destroyed and more than 40 cars were rendered unusable.

Most of those killed were Armenians who refused to transfer money to Armenian terrorist funds. During the Sumgayit events, Eduard Grigoryan personally killed 5 Armenians and raped 8 Armenian women. However, Armenian organisations were able to help E. Grigoryan, who committed atrocious crimes, escape punishment.
He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and was released after several years. Another Azerbaijani defendant, Ahmad Ahmadov, was sentenced by a Moscow court to be shot. The sentence was carried out.

In addition, some 3,000 innocent residents of Sumgayit were arrested for their participation in the unrest. Of these, 400 people were held administratively liable and criminal proceedings were initiated against 94 people.

Armenians continue using the Sumgayit events for their own purposes. They are trying to form an erroneous perception of them in the world community and provoke anti-Azerbaijani sentiments.