Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic noting great significance of the Decree “On genocide of Azerbaijanis” of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Mr. Heydar Aliyev as the first official document shed light on these dark pages of our history considers declaration of March, 31 - Day of the genocide of Azerbaijanis that was committed against Azerbaijanis 80 years ago, as political legal and moral action that recalls our national memory and stimulates history truth to be discovered and occupied its fitting place.

Facts of mass massacre - genocide committed against Azerbaijanis with unprecedented brutality after violent division of Azerbaijan were called by their right names in this significant document for the first time in our history, particularly roots of policy of ethnic hostility carried out in all Transcaucasian against Azerbaijani population in 1905-1907, 1918-1920, 1948-1953 and 1988-1993 by Armenian nationalists, nationalist circles and reactionary great powers supported them were disclosed, political assessment was given to ominous policy of anti-Azerbaijani powers which saw the main and real way to implement chimera about “Great Armenia” in destruction, deportation of Azerbaijanis who were natives of these territories along all history, in destruction of their historic and cultural monuments, rename the toponymies.

Transmigration of tens thousands of Armenians into Azerbaijan after concluding of Goulistan and Turkmenchay peace treaties legalized the occupation of Azerbaijan by tsarist Russia as well as gave them broader rights and privileges in comparison with local population on the basis of religious community that led to supplant of Azerbaijani population by Russian-Armenian alliance by all means. This process was intensified after beginning of activity of Armenian nationalist parties Dashnaksyutun and Gnchak and unification of fanatic Armenian mass under their nationalistic slogans. In 1905 after beginning of first revolution in Russia organized armed troops of Armenians became the first initiators in Caucasus such a terrible crime as genocide on ethnic basis. In 1905-1907 they implemented mass massacre of Azerbaijanis in Baku, Tiflis, Erivan, Nakhchivan, Ganja, Karabakh, Zangezur, burnt cities and villages, killed children, women, the elders with unprecedented brutality. Only in Shusha, Javanshir, Jabrail and Zangezur districts 75 Azerbaijani villages were razed to the ground in this period, and in Erivan and Ganja provinces more than 200 settlements were thoroughly destroyed and ravaged. Tens thousands Azerbaijanis who could escape brutality of Armenians were forced to leave their native lands. So, humiliating tradition of refugeeness history of which will soon amount to one century was founded.

Genocide policy committed against Azerbaijani people by Armenians have got broader scale in 1918 when Central government of tsarist Russia was collapsed and in circumstances of arbitrariness and anarchy former empire have lived its last days. The genocide of this period was committed in more organized way and with more brutality and merciless. Only in March - April of 1918 in Baku, Shamakha, Guba, Mugan, Lankaran Armenians killed more than 50 thousands Azerbaijanis, destroyed their homes, drove them out their native lands. Only in Baku 30 thousand of our compatriots were killed with particular merciless, in Shamakha district 58 villages were destroyed, about 7 thousands people were killed including 1653 women and 965 children. 122 Moslem villages were razed to the ground in Guba district, more than 150 Azerbaijani villages were destroyed in upland part of Karabakh, 115 villages - in Zangezur district, cruel violence were implemented against population without distinction in sex and age. 211 Azerbaijani villages were destroyed, burnt and ravaged in Erivan province, 92 - in Kars oblast (region). One of the numerous appeals of the Azerbaijanis of Erivan points that 88 villages were destroyed, 1920 were burnt, 132 thousand people were killed in this historic city. As a result of brutality carried out by Armenian troops, policy of “Armenia without Turks” pursued during period of Dashnaks’ rule, number of Azerbaijani population in Erivan district reduced from 375 thousand in 1916 to 70 thousand people in 1922. Apparently, as a result of genocide and wide-ranging ethnic cleanings Armenian nationalists in a short time largely could achieve their object.

Because of impunity of the crimes of genocide and not giving any political and legal assessment to them, Azerbaijanis repeatedly faced with antihuman policy carried out against them in period of Soviet rule, too. The obvious case of this elaborate discreditable policy is fate of Azerbaijanis lived on the territory of the Armenian SSR. As a result of “creeping” deportations as well as forced deportations in 1948-1953 and 1988-1989 about half million Azerbaijanis were expatriated from the Armenian SSR, and all their property was plundered.

Armenian expansion that began since 1988 and aggressive war and ethnic cleaning carried out by Armenians in Nagorny Karabakh increased number of victims of genocide of Azerbaijanis. As a result of it 20 percents of the territory of the Azerbaijani Republic were occupied, 18 thousand people were killed, more than 20 thousand people were wounded, more than 50 thousand people became invalids, more than 4 thousand people were taken as prisoners, hostages and missing, more than 4 industrial and agricultural enterprises, 660 schools and kindergartens, 250 hospitals and medical institutions were destroyed, 724 cities, villages and settlements were plundered, destroyed and burnt. As a result of Khojali tragedy that is the most terrible crime of the century Armenians completely destroyed large inhabited locality, 613 people of peaceful population were brutally killed including 63 infants, 106 women, 487 people became cripples, 1275 inhabitants including elders, children and women were taken as prisoners and subjected to unprecedented tortures, insults and humiliation.

As a result of this only at the XX century more than 2 million Azerbaijanis have felt policy of genocide carried out by Armenian nationalistic circles and their protectors on their own backs. It can be said there is no family in Azerbaijan that has not suffered as a result of Armenian nationalism.

In the name of triumph of truth and justice and with the aim to prevent new crimes of genocide against Azerbaijanis Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan states that Azerbaijani state strongly following the path of democracy will use all available means and ways to inform world community about crimes of genocide repeatedly carried out in XIX-XX centuries against Azerbaijanis by Armenian nationalism and its advocates with anti-Azerbaijani orientation.

Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan taking into consideration that the crimes of genocide carried out against Azerbaijanis have still not been punished and lack of information about it in international community appeals to UN, Inter-Parliament Union, Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Council of Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States, other international organizations, parliaments and governments of the states of the world with request:

1. To admit the crimes of genocide carried out by Armenian nationalists and their protectors against Azerbaijanis in XIX-XX centuries;
2. To complete the work on creation of efficient international legal mechanisms for providing inevitability of immunity for the crimes of genocide in the near future;
3. With aim to prevent new crimes of genocide against Azerbaijanis, to promote peaceful fair resolution of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict within the frames of OSCE Minsk Group.

(The statement was adopted at the session of Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan on March, 1998)