Khojaly genocide - 14 years later

Occupation of Khojaly was followed with unprecedented brutalities against the civilian population. In a few hours the aggressors killed 613 innocent and unarmed people. Among them were 106 women, 83 children. 56 people were killed with special brutality. 8 families were totally exterminated. 25 children were totally, and 130 children were partly orphaned. 476 people became disabled persons (of them 76 were minors). 1275 people were taken into hostage and even though afterwards most of the hostages were released from captivity, the fates of 150 of them are still unknown.

How it happened

The situation was very tense. After ravaging the villages Gushchular and Malibayli, Armenians gathered all their forces in Khojaly direction. All the electric wires were cut. There wasn't electricity, bread, and food. The last helicopter flew away on January 29. On February 18, a military helicopter from Ganja landed in Khojaly airport. But these "comings" couldn't save the habitants from dangerThey were feeling great dangers. But they were helpless. The enemy had several tanks and armored carriers.

They were feeling... There was a trouble ahead!!! February 25!... Khojalians didn't have any connection with neighboring regions, and in whole, with Azerbaijan. Having been forgotten by everyone, they were living the last hours there.

The circle of blockade was narrowing. Khojalians sent SOS!!! to everywhere for help. Now Khojaly was quite helpless. Armenians were sure that in such a severe frost death rolls would be more than expected. It happened as they planned.

About 10-11 o'clock in the evening began an awful attack: with the help of Russian militaries rabid Armenians attacked from 6 sides. Armenians wanted to deal cruelly with Turks. The night from 25th - to 26th February 1992 ended in tragedy for Khojalians.

At midnight people under the bullet rain ran into the forests and mountains barefooted. The land called Motherland was in the hands of the enemy. Poor Khojalians didn't know that the tragedy was ahead. Running away wasn't a tragedy. In reality it was happiness that they could run away and save their lives. Khojalians left their full of houses, all their wealth. They couldn't even put on their warm dresses. Someone's money, wealth, someone's old and ill parents stayed in burnt houses. In this stampede someone lost their children and couldn't run...

Role of the 366th regiment

In 1987 the 366th regiment was brought to Khankandi. It consisted of 1800 men. But in fact there served only 350 men in it. There were 100 armored cars in this regiment. Its chief was Yuri Zavrigarov. There were 54 Armenian officers and ensigns in this regiment's stuff. Battalion Commander of the II-nd (??) regiment was Seyran Oganyan - Armenian by nationality. Armored cars and soldiers were under his command.

At the beginning of February 1992 there was a talk between Elmira Gafarova, the chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan and marshal Shaposhnikov in Moscow. On February 12th she again met him in Minsk. She insisted on leaving of the 366th motor-rifle regiment, but Shaposhnikov didn't agree. He said that it had to be agreed with chiefs.

On February 12th Ayaz Mutallibov - the president of independent Azerbaijan flew to Minsk. 5 times he had meetings with Boris Yeltsin, the president of Russia. But he couldn't succeed the leaving of the regiment. Then MP Araz Alizadeh flew to Moscow and made an agreement about the 366 motor-rifle regiment. These are what he said: "Here I met with Yeltsin and we talked about 45 minutes. In my presence Yeltsin phoned to Shaposhnikov and gave him an order about leaving of the regiment. On February 24th Marshall Shaposhnikow called me on and said that the 366th regiment would leave soon. On February 25th I phoned him again. He said that the regiment was leaving Khankandi. But soon we understood that we had been deceived."

Till the last days Marshal Shaposhnikov didn't want to confess that the 366th regiment had been given to Armenians. Most of the officers and soldiers were moved to Georgia. After it the regiment assistant, commander of the Transcaucasian Military District troops, general-lieutenant Sufiyan Bappayev said some facts that proved the duplicity of Russian service men. He said that the regiment commander - lieutenant colonel Yuri Zavrigarov was given a command, but he acted in other way. When landing men wanted to prevent him, one of them was killed by Armenians. Commander of the 2nd battalion Seyran Ohanyan handed in Armenians a great number of military equipments, including 17 armored cars, 4 antiaircraft guns and others.

Humanitarian corridor?

In international practice conducting military operation there is a rule, by which, in the presence of storm in the placed inhabited locality, attacker side gives a chance to civil people to leave the inhabited locality safely - as it is known "free corridor". This is not just humanity, but also a responsibility of the strong side to keep the rights of the people, its duty to obey to the international established and generally accepted regularity of the conducting military. In the claims of Armenians it was told that, attacker side left a "free corridor" for peaceful people of Khojaly, however they did not use this way and only this brought for many sacrifices. As far as the version about corridor is very popular in Armenian side, let's examine it.

Yes, there was no any free corridor in Khojaly. However, there was an "Armenian" corridor. And it was obtained by Moscow Rights Defense Center "Memorial". What kind of "corridor", what was it destined for, "Memorial" guessed, and understood. "Declared predestination of "free corridor" for people to leave from Khojaly is possible to estimate like a predominated acts of authorities of so-called NKR by cleansinging the town from people, or as it was told by officials of so-called NKR. It was also mentioned that they could not provide a maintenance of human rights in the territories which was controlled by these authorities."

Armenian nationalists differ from the normal people in everything, of course, and in this "corridor" case too. For them the "corridor" is not considered as an important rule, which they should maintain, but it was a good method that could be advantageous to try on. And they have tried it on before and every time, when it seems like important to them.

This is what R. Mamedli wrote: "They were attacking Muslim villages, encircling by three sides, purposely, for defenseless village people could "run". By this way, villages were taken by Armenian nationalists. After, by tracing these running people, they just killed them."

Therefore, instead of normal free corridor to survive people, Armenians are applying their, Armenian corridor of death.

By results of Khojaly "corridor" it is not hard to imagine, how it was made up. The city was encircled by three sides, and was left just by one side "free". Rescuing population of the city from mortal danger was throwing itself from side to side and was grouping for “free” passageway and running crazed by "the corridor".

"Corridor" of Khojaly was established at the night: people was jumping out of their beds, house to the snow, half-clothed, in other words in February severe cold in the mountains of Karabakh and were running, to get away from this hell.

In the direction to Agdam, there was intentionally attacker side, which reliably beckoned people to Agdam.

It is hard to believe you, but a writes shares his feelings like this: "As better armed Armenians are and as less saved Turks are, especially ruthless, and more dreadful is Armenian."

The flow of people, which was crazed from ear, was running from Neanderthals with sub-machine-guns. Children were screaming, falling down, hurting knees very badly. The way was not for children and it was not for older people too. The normal way should not be as rocky mountains, insidiously powdered with snow and covered with dangerous slippery ice, at the dark winter night.

Minesh Aliyeva, 50, had a bullet wound in her hand: "...We were shuffling in the forest, by falling through the deep snow."

Crying women were dragging along their children. Old, disabled, injured were urging on people - "Be fast, be fast!" they were moving very quickly as they can, fell, tried to stand up, somebody helps them-helpless people were helping to more helpless ones.

Samad Talibov, 61. His legs were frozen: "...There was a fire everywhere in the city. Scared people were running anywhere they can. We, people nearly 120-130 ran into the Katiy forest. Most of the people were barefoot, without any hats, groggy and jumping out of crutches."

What about on the way?

Sona Aliyeva. Frozen legs, amputated foot nails, was hiding in the forest for 12 days: "...Armenians injured my husband back in Khojaly. He could not and did not want to go with us. But we helped, began to drag him into the forest. He racked with pain and was very thirsty for three days. I gave him a snow but he wanted water. When he was dying he told: "Take off the passport and money from my pocket." I could not take it off. My hand was not moving."

By leaving the frozen bodies of children in the forests covered with snow, died from the wounds and injuries, people finally reached to the different place. Did they really escape? Oh, no!

Yaver Aliyeva, 7 years old, bullet wound in the hand and the chest. "When shooting began, we went down to the basement of our neighbors. After a time we ran into the forest."

Mother of Yaver, Nasiba Aliyeva: "...We were 40 people neighbors. We began to run... near the bridge we saw 40-armed soldiers dressed like OMONS. They began to talk us in Azeri. We were happy and ran into the direction where they were, and there we saw that they were Armenians... when we turned back they opened a fire to us. From 40 people there were 14 alive..."

The plan of "liquidation of Khojaly", how this "operation" was called by the official representative of Armenia (look above), was composed of some tens of Armenian generals, pupils of Russian army. Everything was going on by this plan, and perhaps everything was done.

When main crowd of refugees came out to the first Armenian inhabited locality, village Katiy, the new phase of "operation" began. It was shooting from the three sides.

Khumar Aliyeva, 19, had fragmentation injuries in the forearm and face: "... We did not know, what to do, where to run... We directed to the mountain of Katiy. Until we reached to the mountain, maybe hundreds of people were lying on the land, which were stroke by enemy bullets...Splinters."

It seems like sacrifices were just because Khojaly people did not use the corridor.

What is the talk about? We know that, main massacre was not in the town, not on the line of fire, so it does not mean that safety is until or in the "corridor." But people already went away from Khojaly (too far away!) alive. Why there should be any talks about "corridor" - was it or not, it does matter? People went out by "the corridor" or by "tunnel" - all of these happened before the massacre. The main massacre happened out of the line of fire, far away from the city and to relate it with "corridor" is pure Armenian nonsense. By the plan, deliberate, conscious, massacres were accomplished out of the town and out of the "corridor". Was it or not, was it "good" or "bad" - the conversation is falling off - "corridor" is remained at the back.

However, the talk is about the operation-possibility to mass killing of people of Khojaly, which was going on the next.

By having information about the number of population-nearly 3000 (!), Armenians knew (having a practice!), that by making one surprise attack, they could not kill all the people…Thousands of chickens is even hard to shot. However, here it is even 3000, let them be women, children, people without guns, but it is too much, but they do not want to skip anyone! In addition, the guarantee for victory of "operations" there was three ambushes (by not counting numerous intermediate posts, from which every "military" was obligated for himself to shoot Azeri and to count, how many of people of this nation is on the snow, although it was difficult - the work was at the night.)

First line of ambush was waiting near the village of Katuk. Although the "operation" was happening at the darkness, but still "there was slaughtered and was taking to slavery some hundreds of Khojaly people."

Was it a mistake? If it was a mistake, then Armenians should inform to their next lines about these mistakes like this: "Do not fire, peaceful people are coming, allow them to go to Agdam."

Oh no! How to miss a catch like this-what are you talking about! They informed that "Turks attacked us, we could not kill all of them - it was too dark, be ready, sooner they will reach to your place." And the contact between Armenian is very clear, also it was by satellite.

Consequently, by breaking through Katuk fire line, people of Khojaly moved away, to the village Nakhichevanik. At the same time "it was informed them that village Nakhichevanik was beaten off from Armenians." Who informed? Nobody knows. This was also by the plan: In order not to spread over the civil people, for people who could not be stopped in Katuk and who was frozen on the way, to be directed there, to rounding-up, to Nakhichevanik.

And here, as it was planned, dawn came. By the time the forest finished. Moreover, the "main battle" - main massacre was waiting to happen: huge crowd of people who were almost naked, came out the slightly to the hill near the village of Nakhichevanik, where sub-machine-gunners, machine-gunners and tanks were waiting for them. Tanks were against women, children and old people.

And the shooting began from the three sides and semicircle with riflemen was converting into the whole circle. "A target" is clear-black crowd on the white snow. Third color also was appearing, red stains of blood, big and little, near the bodies of big and little people of Khojaly.

Pompoyev writes: Correspondent of "Moscow News" Victoria Ivlyova was walking (by her own confession,) not in the first, but in the second echelon of attackers, and on the distant approach to Khojaly she noticed that "something" is moving in front of her. That was reminding her "a cloud" Cloud was turned out to be a crowd of half-clothed people. She tells: "At the last in the crowd of Azeris one woman was going barefoot with children. She was hardly moving, many times falling down. It was found out that her last child was only two days old."

There, near the village Nakhichevanik, nearly all people were killed or taken as slaves. But still not all of them! Some of them escaped even from this fire line.

Armenians foresaw this too. Escaped people from Nakhichevanik Line of ambush met with third, additional line of fire not far away fro the village Gulabli, and "nearly 200 people of Khojaly were in hands of enemy. One more group of Khojaly people ran into Armenians already near Azerbaijani trenches nearby village Shellie."

In addition, someone broke through this way too. From 23 relatives of Elman Mamedov, the head of executive authority of Khojaly, escaped was just Elman. Vakil Alekberov lost 49 relatives.

Just by the "quality" of Armenian wildness Khojaly massacre was declared as a tragedy by the Congress of United States of America in 1992, although there was killed approximately one thousand people, when in Bosnia and Herzegovina 100 thousands were killed. And wildness happened down there too. However, Armenian wildness surpassed 100 times! This is the logical deduction from the decision of American Congress.

That night Armenian nationalists with help of Russian 366th regiment committed one of the bloodiest tragedies of the XX century - the Khojaly bloodshed. The defense of this strategic settlement wasn't efficiently organized. The self-defense battalion of Khojaly consisting of 80 men wasn't equipped with any armored cars and guns. Only mortar battery of the 2nd battalion of Shikh brigade consisting of 20 men was helping them.

That night Armenian military units together with the 366th motor-rifle regiment of Russia (2 battalions out of 3 with their full complement, the other partially), besides hired assassins brought from abroad attacked Khojaly. The first blow was at the airport situated near the town. Though the defenders were few in number and weren't armed well, were fighting bravely. The commander of Special Nominations Unit Alif Hajiyev was especially notable.

But forces were unequal. The brave commander died a dearth of a hero in this battle. After a strong preparatory bombardment tanks and armored cars invaded the town. Street battles began. Dozens of men were killed, wounded and taken prisoners. Khojaly was ruined and burnt down. A part of people who saved their lives ran in Aghdam direction. Spending a snowy, frosty night barefooted, bare-headed in the forest most refugees congealed, some of them being wounded couldn't endure and died. The rest were shot down when they were going out of the forest, in the place called "Garagaya", 6 kms far from Khojaly. Hundreds of helpless women, old and children were killed. Those who were running in Abdal-Ghulabli direction were shot down. Armenian bloodsuckers tortured the wounded men, disfigured the corpses, raped the women and girls.

In this genocide committed by Armenians against the Azeri-Turks 613 men were killed, 487 mutilated, 1275 taken prisoners. 8 families were absolutely annihilated.

Witnesses testimonies

Jean-Yves Yunet, journalist (France)

...We happened to be the witnesses of Khojaly massacre, we saw the dead — bodies of hundreds of civilians — women, children, old-age people and defenders of Khojaly. We managed to fly by helicopter, we were taking photographs of everything we saw around Khojaly at a height of a bird's flight. However Armenians started shooting our helicopter and we couldn't manage to finish our job. That was a terrible scene. I heard a lot about wars, about cruelty of German fascists, but Armenians went beyond them, killing 5 or 6 year-old children, innocent people. We saw a lot of injured people in hospitals, carriages, even in kindergarten and school buildings.

Belykh, "Izvestia" newspaper reporter

...The dead-bodies exchanged for the alive hostages are occasionally brought to Agdam. You won't see it even in a nightmare: pierced out eyes, cut off ears, scalped heads, cut off heads. A number of corpses were dragged by ropes after the armed personnel carriers. There was no limit to humiliation.

Chingiz Mustafayev, Azerbaijan Television reporter

... Dozens and dozens of shot dead people (most of them point-blank through the head), children aged from 2 to 15, women, old age people. The location of the corpses proves that it was a cold-blooded slaughter, there were no signs if resistance or attempts to escape.

Some civilians were shot separately, the others were killed in groups, or families. Some corpses have several wounds but every corpse has at least one wound in the head. It means that the wounded were finished off afterwards. The camera witnessed several children with their ears cut off. The skin from the left part of the woman's face was missing. Men were scalped. There were corpses with signs of pillage. First time we arrived at the scene of massacre by two war helicopters on February 28. Up from the helicopter we saw the mountainside of about 500 meters long filled with corpses. The pilots were scared of landing because the area was controlled by Armenian bandits. However when managed to land and stepped onto the land the shooting started. Internal Ministry men were to load the corpses and take them to the relatives of the dead. They managed to load only 4 corpses. We were all shocked. Two men after seeing so many dead and mutilated corpses fainted. Many people got sick. The same thing happened on March 2, when we flew there with foreign journalists. Many dead-bodies were even more mutilated than before. They had been scoffed at for several days...

Shamil Sabiroghly, camera-man

On that day we found frozen men and women on the ways and in the forest and carried them to the hospital train. We wanted to shoot with camera, but were shot. "Lay down, Come back!" We heard these orders. But an English reporter didn't obey and went ahead. Either he didn't understand that situation was very tense, or he wanted to gather more material. We used every chance to shoot dead bodies. But as they continued to shoot, we were obliged to return back. The distance between Armenians and us was only 50-60 meters, not more.

Sariyya, a journalist

On that day we were in our neighbor's house. She felt ill, and my mother was milking their cow. Suddenly we heard reports of guns. We went to the cattle house. Other neighbors - Esmira - Armenian by nationality, aunt Dilbar and her husband Balakishi were there too. We stayed there several hours, then we understood that the shooting won't stop. People were at a loss, they run in Katik wood's direction. We crossed the Khojaly river. Some of us drowned in the river. Esmira (Armenian)'s husband Ibish was weak hearted. He couldn't bear and his heart broke out. His son Rafig was running away with his mother and other Khojalians. As his mother was Armenian, Rafig covered her head with a kerchief, in order not to be recognized. They reached Aghdam. Her other son Eldar said that he couldn't leave his mother there. So Esmira left for Russia. But she couldn't live without her husband and sons. She drank essence and died there. It was one of the troubles of tragedy.

Some of women jumped from the top of the mountains and died. Most of villagers died in the place called "Garachay". My mother was shot in the heart and she died near the village of Shelli.

Some of the villagers lost their way and stayed in the forest. They stayed there for 12 days. These women were so brave and courageous. They didn't want to be caught by the enemy. They knew that being caught Armenians would insult them, the women were very hungry. They were pulling the rinds of trees and eating them; at this time, dressed in white-snow Armenians were looking for them, they were calling them in Azerbaijanian language. But they could not deceive them, the brave women hid. Taking by bushes somehow they reached Aghdam.

Some of people hid in the cellars, basements of the houses, in the cattle houses. Those could not escape, died of fear and terror.

Leonid Kravets, officer, major

On February 26 I was taking the wounded out of Stepanakert by helicopter and returning through Askeran gap. Some bright spots downwards took my eye. We started to descend and my co-pilot cried: 'Look! There are women and children over there'. I saw about two hundred corpses scattered down the hillside. Armed men were walking among them. Then we flew there trying to pick up corpses. Militia captain, I can't remember his name, was with us. He found his 4-year-old son with crashed skull and he went out of his mind. The other child that we had managed to pick up before they started shooting had his head cut off. I saw mutilated bodies of women, children, old — age people everywhere...

Yuri Yakhovitch, the private of infantry 366th regiment.

...They persuaded that we were Christians and we had to fight against Moslems. They kept us in awful subhuman conditions, we couldn't bear being there and we had to desert the regiment and escape to Khojaly

/www.khojaly.org/