Full deportation of Azerbaijanis from the Armenian SSR, is associated with the beginning of the Karabakh conflict. Between 1987 and 1990, from the Armenian SSR were deported about 200 thousand Azerbaijanis. If at the beginning of 20th century Azerbaijanis made up nearly half the population of the territory of present-day Armenia, in 1990, in Armenia has not lived no Azerbaijani.
December 1988 in the most complex ancient history of the Armenian-Azerbaijani relations have played important role as the final stage is now complete and the final expulsion of the Azerbaijani ethnic group from Armenia. Begins in February with a mass protest in Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh under the slogans of "reunion" in year 1988 ended with a total ethnic cleansing of the population of this republic. More than 170,000 Azerbaijanis and "attached" to them Muslim Kurdish people, for their lives, fled to Azerbaijan. The immediate cause of the outcome of Azerbaijanis were riots in Gugark, Goris, Stepanval, Kalinin, Vardenisand some other dozens of Armenia, where there were riots and the burning of homes, violence bloodshed, dozens of dead bodies. Gross violations of civil rights, riots, accompanied by threats of violence were also reported in Ijevan, Yeghegnadzor, Krasnoselsk, Ararat, Masis, Amasiya and Noyemberyan areas. In all these areas operated armed men, united in the so-called "self-defense groups." According to numerous eyewitnesses, of much bloodshed they saved the devastating earthquake occurred during this period in Armenia that killed with a lot of lives, and curfews in some of its districts.
The first refugees from the Armenian SSR appeared at the end of 1987. They were residents of Kafan district. As the political scientist Arif Yunus , he was personally in the 20 days of November 1987 met 4 buses with refugees from Kafan district. In an interview with journalist Thomas de Waal, Second Secretary of the District Committee of Kafan district Aramais Babayan did not deny the fact that Azerbaijanis were leaving Kafan district in November 1987 but claimed that violence was not, and Azeris have left because of they scared something.
In his interview with a newspaper 6 February 2004, the former chairman of the KGB of Azerbaijan SSR, Major-General Vagif Huseynov said that in February 1988 in the Azerbaijan SSR there were already several thousand refugees from the Armenian SSR. As said the Afrand Dashdamirov (in 1988 and 1991 he was secretary of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan SSR), by 18 February 1988, the number of Azerbaijanis displaced from Armenia as a result of forcing an atmosphere of fear and violence, has already exceeded four thousand people ".62
Here is some evidence of Azerbaijani refugees from Armenia, recorded in Baku.
"On February 19 we did not sleep a single night. Azeris from neighboring villages came to our village Kalinin of Masis region for safety. And the village itself under the protection of border guards - told Hussein Gambari of farm Ararat Masis region. Azerbaijan school was closed. About 10-20 males gathered around the fire in the center of the village to guard the houses at night. But a night did not pass that has not been set on fire some house. Old men, women and children lay down dressed, even in shoes to be able to jump up and run."
"In our village Artashat of Masis region was set on fire three houses of Abdullaev, Sadigov and Nizami, tells farmer Humbat Abbasov. Since February 19 we are not allowed in the bazars, goods grown by our labor is lost. From February 19 you will not find a single Azerbaijani name in the records of hospitals, clinics, health centers of Armenia. Although living there 200,000 Azeri. We were not sold bread and products. Do not admit us in public transport. On February 19, began mass unreasonable dismissal of the Azerbaijanis from their jobs. We spit in the face and in the truest sense of the word they shouted: "Turks, go away, away from the Armenian land!"
As you can see the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from the Armenian SSR began long before the beginning of the Karabakh conflict and before the events in Sumgait. After the beginning of the Karabakh conflict in 20 February 1988 and the events in Sumgait 2 February 1988 expulsion of Azerbaijanis from the Armenian SSR adopted a massive scale. And it was recorded on March 2 a new wave of Azeri refugees from Armenia: Zangelan and adjacent regions of Azerbaijan got a lot of Azerbaijani families who have been uprooted from rural areas of Armenia. In rural areas and provincial cities of Armenia to the sound of rallies in Yerevan was a massive operation: intimidation and attacks against Azerbaijani population of more vigorous squeezing of the republic.
Here are some of the surviving evidences of the victims themselves: "In early May 1988 in the village Shirazly of Ararat region Armenian Soviet Republic, Armenians were destroyed 16 homes, burned two houses and one car. 210 families (880 people) from this village within 4 months lived under the open sky on the banks of the Aras River in the border zone with Iran. All these machines were dismantled and the dispossessed by the Armenian police. Head of the police department, the chairman of DEC, the deputy chairman of the KGB, the Spitak region of Armenia, arrived in the village of Saral of the same district and, gathered the inhabitants of Azerbaijani and announced to them that within two hours, they should leave the village. The same proposal was made and the villagers Gursaly. However, the residents of these villages have refused to comply. Two hours later, the two villages were cordoned off by 500 trucks and cars. After several shots into the air, began shelling the village.
According to the testimony, Afrand Dashdamirov, on the initiative of the Communist Party of Armenia from 19 to 25 June 1988 in Armenia was a group of responsible Party and Soviet officials from Azerbaijan under the leadership of a member of the Bureau of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Azerbaijan SSR, Mamedov. Of the mission has been prepared a reference, which was sent to the attention of the Communist Party of Soviet Union Central Committee.
To be widely used in the country and abroad is a version that Azerbaijanis began to cast out from Armenia only after Sumgait, and then nearly 8 months later, is not true. As soon as in 1986 while that informally raised the "Karabakh" question, because once in the same year and next in Azerbaijan began to appear refugees, mostly from Kafan and Meghri districts of Armenia. In 1986 and 1987, the Azerbaijani government has taken special orders (although, without advertising it in the interests of "friendship of peoples") of these refugees settled in Sumgait and around. 5 January 18 and 23 February 1988 arrived to Azerbaijan next batch of Azerbaijani refugees and their number reached 4 thousand people. It was still a "secret" during the conflict. The tactics in this period against the Azerbaijanis were appropriate: threats, blackmails and beatings. But this is still assumed a mass character, hence this small number. The situation changed markedly after the Sumgait events. Now, in the course was started and weapons. Already on March 10 south of Yerevan were killed 4 Azerbaijanis - the villagers from Mehmandar (relatives of police tried to assure that the accident occurred). March 25 at the Ararat region was carried out a massive assault with a firearm in the Azerbaijani village of Vedi, Shirazlu, Khalis and Shidlu, one person was killed and dozens wounded, 100 houses burned and destroyed.
So 11, 18 and 23 May 1988 next attack on these and other villages under Yerevan happened. Residents of Shirazlu (880 people) village, unable to stand, and fled to the Soviet-Turkish border and within four months lived under the open sky on the shores of river Aras. June 20 they were joined by residents of five other Azerbaijani villages (about 10,000 persons) in the Ararat region. Notable is that the attacks on these villages were headed not only the leaders of the district, but some officials of the republic, in particular the former deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers Harutyunyan. It was not better the situation of Azerbaijanis in cities and regional centers. So, July 7, 1988 in maize under the leadership of Chairman Executive Committee Gevorgyan and Chief of police department Iskandarian extremists destroyed 86 houses of Azerbaijanis, destroyed household property, and the hosts were beaten. About this in the Armenian press has been given a false report of the former chairman of the Supreme republic Voskanian, attributed his actions "a group of hooligans from Yerevan".
Of course, all this was of no spontaneous and coordinated in nature. There is eveiy reason to assert that the actions of "hooligans" were controlled by the Armenian authorities and found support in at least some of the leaders of the Armenian Natsionalist Karabakh Committee. Take, for example, performance of Kazarian, corresponding member of Academy of Sciences of Armenia, now one of the leading parties of the Republic at a rally in Yerevan on November 4, 1988, where he bluntly called "using the units, which are known to have been created in every possible way to ensure emigration". He also proclaimed that, for the first time during these decades, we have a unique opportunity to clear Armenia from Turkic tribes.
Since the end of August 1988 has changed significantly and tactics against non-Armenian population. Against the Azerbaijanis and Muslim Kurds had unleashed a massive psychological terror: beatings, threats and insults were the corny nature. In addition, close schools, cut off electricity, telephone and water and food supply was stopped, and then started losing their jobs.
As a theologian I can say that, ethnic cleansing of Armenia was mostly against Muslim communities in the country. These communities were consisting of Azerbaijanis and Kurds. But as we said at past, during the history, though Armenian state was founded by support of Orthodox Russian Empire, there was a huge contradictions between Armenian National Church and Russian or Byzantium Orthodox Church. And for this reason in 1988 Armenians began struggle also against Russians in Armenia.
Russian population in Armenia at that time occupied a position of neutrality, hoping to avoid the fate of Azeris and Kurds, Muslims. It did not help. True, the actions against the Russians were more "civilized" character. Armenians have created difficulties with the supply of food and under the pretext of closed schools. In one area only of Vardenis region more recently there were 34 Russian
schools, and they are all now closed. As a result, and Russians mostly, conservatives, Russian-speaking anti-Othodox groups like Molokans, Baptists, Pentecostals did not survive, and also began to leave Armenia, several thousand of them settled in Azerbaijan (Baku, Sumgait and Khanlar), while the bulk quietly left for Russian. Soviet Press bypassed the attention of Russian refugees from Armenia. In the second half of 1988 began the final stage of "purification" of Armenia from foreigners, primarily from the Azerbaijanis. Villages of Azerbaijanis, but also the Muslim Kurds have been taken in the ring almost every day were fired. The latter, in turn, in order to protect the established observation posts, using shotguns, which had not at all, as well as axes, pitchforks, shovels and other possible means of reflection attacks. But the quantitative and qualitative superiority was on the side of the Armenians, who enjoyed the support of the republic's leadership and development. From 27 November almost simultaneously over the entire territory of Armenia carried out the attack on the surrounded villages. Here are two specific, very specific examples.
The evening of 27 November, the Vice Chairman of the KGB Mehrabyan, chief police department Spitak region Sarkisian and chairman of executive committee Khachiyan arrived to the village of Saral and Gursaly and declared that Azeris have two hours to leave the village. They refused. Then, hundreds of heavily armed militants opened fire on villages. Came for the rescue from Kirovakan Soviet Armed Troops with difficulty repulsed the attack. The next day, Sarkisian and Mehrabyan newly arrived to village Saral and threatening to destroy the villagers repeated their demands. To the village was driven home 34 buses at what each bus was designed for two families. Dipping bedding and only taking a minimum required, the villagers in the military escort departed, but on November 30 near Gamzachamann village of Gugark district the convoy of buses was fired. Three Azeris were killed, seven seriously injured. On the same day in the morning to 40 trucks drove into the village, some household goods owners without their knowledge, they burned the other part were loaded onto vehicles and taken away to Spitak.
And this is testimony from Russian residents of Vardenis region. According to the memoirs of Tostyak November 27 1988 the chairman of the Agricultural industry of the republic Movsesian arrived to Zod village of Vardenis district and gave the Azeris three days to leave. And for hurry up the villagers fired, deprived of electricity, bread. But the Azerbaijanis had to leave here on the mountain roads in a blizzard, with the car and all the time they were fired. According to the testimony of the Dashkova, part of the inhabitants of the Azerbaijani village of Azat lived there until December 8. But on that day, the next after the earthquake on
the helicopter landed heavily armed Armenian militants drove past the villagers into the streets and threatened with execution drove them across the mountains to go to Azerbaijan. But it was only in the case, if the residents of two villages (in Armenia and Azerbaijan) agreed among themselves and accompanied by the military carried out an exchange of properties and immobile. However, such examples unfortunately are not very much.
Soviet and law enforcement bodies of Armenia led not only to expulsion, but also organized the assassination. That testimony of Dadashev and Belyankin. The first on November 27, fled with his family left his family and family of relative Tagiyev from village Dostlug of Masis district has safely arrived in Azerbaijan. Tagiyev the next day brought all the household things on the car of Belyankin and also hit the road, but down the road a car stopped by police colonel, Saribekian, Major Barseghyan, Karapetyan, Grigoryan, Khachaturian. The latter two pulled Tagiyev and after intense torture; they cut off part of the neck with an ax, gouged eyes, and burned part of the hands and face, broken fingers and toes and cut a cross on the body and Tagiyev was killed. Learning about the death of a relative, Dadashev by an investigator familiar Nizamov of Tatar national origin, 10 December could bring a dead of Tagiyeva to Azerbaijan, while seen in the hands of Nizamov folder with a list of about 130 dead Azerbaijanis.
Especially terrible atrocities took place in Gugark area. Enough to say that of 15 Azerbaijani 13 had burned in the area, 12 of them villagers Vartan. For Azerbaijanis word Gugark has become a household name and has the same meaning as for the Armenians "Sumgait".
We also note that almost all the attacks on Azerbaijani and Kurdish villages were headed by the responsible Party and Soviet workers districts with the direct participation of the KGB and the police. Especially zealous in the first secretaries Gugark, Vardenis, Spitak, Ijevan, Noemberian, Meghri, Yeghegnadzor, Krasnoselsk ar several other district committees of the Communist Party Armenia, are often personally involved in the forced deportation Azeri and Kurdish population. We also note that even a terrible earthquake on December 7 1988 has not stopped the massacres. La Azeri in the bloody year, was killed December 12, when the who world has assisted victims of the earthquake. By the way, the earthquake killed 33 Azerbaijanis and they are not included in the list of victims of the pogrom, the victims of disaster, here they we "lucky" because by the time of the earthquake zone was only about thousand Azerbaijanis and they are awaiting the attack of the Armenians in the majority took refuge in the mountains and forest. Unnecessarily, to think, write that no assistance was provided victims of the earthquake Azerbaijanis.
In connection with massive violence against Muslim Azeris ( and Kurdish population in Armenia in 1987-1988 Armenian nationalists attacked also their cultural-religious centers. In the same district center Masis was burnt mosque. In Yerevan, al were burnt a mosque, Azeri School by the name of Akhundov and AzDrama Theatre. The Azerbaijani cemetery completely destroyed the Armenians.
In Armenia, 131 state and collective farms, bringing together 176 items have been endowed with the Azeri population. They ha completely requisitioned land, appropriated their public and private livestock, looted their property and themselves, every single one the most inhumane way, and were expelled from Armenia. Of course, any compensation for all victims and this time has not received, total of 19 rural and 9 urban districts of Armenia brutally expel more than 180,000 Azerbaijanis. The territory formerly settled Azeris in Armenia was about 20% of its territory (29, 8 thousand s km.), or about 6,0 thousand square meters km, 1,6 thousand square meters km more than the entire territory of Nagorno-Karabakh Azerbaijan SSR (the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh is 4,4 thousands sq. km.) with a population of about 125,000 Armenians.
In this case, emphasizing that the mass expulsion Azerbaijanis from the Armenian SSR, occurred with the fi connivance of the parts of Ministry of Internal Affairs USSR, Soviet Army, the KGB (Committee for National Security), who have n taken any measures to protect the then Soviet citizens. The killings Azerbaijanis in the Armenian SSR, USSR Prosecutor General's Office were instituted 26 criminal cases (the fate of these cases unknown). Remaining in the Armenian SSR in a small number Azeris, were finally expelled from Armenia in 1989-1990. L Azerbaijani settlements in Armenia were village Nuvedi of Meg region, where Azerbaijanis were expelled in August 1990. By the end of 1990, Armenia has not lived a single Azerbaijani.