Anti-Azerbaijani sentiment in Armenia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anti-Azerbaijanism, hostility against Azerbaijan, intolerance and racism against Azerbaijani people is widespread in Armenia. In a 2013 survey, 63% of Armenians identified Azerbaijan as the "biggest enemy of Armenia".[1]

Early period[]

Early 20th century[]

There have been numerous cases of Anti-Azerbaijani sentiment in Armenia throughout history. During the Armenian–Tatar massacres of 1905–07, 158 Azerbaijani villages were destroyed or pillaged (compared to 128 destroyed or pillaged Armenian villages),[2] and 3,000 to 10,000 civilians were killed from both sides, with Azerbaijanis suffering higher losses,[3] which stemmed from Azerbaijani mobs being organized poorly and Dashnaks on the Armenian side being more effective.[4] According to the historian Firuz Kazemzadeh, "it is impossible to pin the blame for the massacres on either side. It seems that in some cases the Azerbaijanis fired the first shots, in other cases the Armenians."[5]

From 1948 to 1953, Azerbaijanis living in the Armenian SSR were deported. The deportations were carried out by the decision of the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated 23 December 1947 on the resettlement of Azerbaijanis from their settlements in the territory of present-day Armenia. The decision was carried out by force, and more than 150,000 Azerbaijanis were deported from 24 regions and the city of Yerevan.[6]

First Nagorno-Karabakh War[]

Further information: First Nagorno-Karabakh War
Azerbaijani victims of the 26 February 1992 massacre in Khojaly

In February 1988 in Yerevan, Armenia SSR, demonstrations demanding the incorporation of Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast of the Azerbaijan SSR into the Armenian SSR occurred. Nagorno-Karabakh's regional council voted to secede from Azerbaijan and join with the Armenian SSR.[7] On 26 February, a pogrom in the city of Sumgait, resulted in the deaths of about 30 Armenians, although other estimates reach up into the hundreds of victims.[8][9][10] This led to a rise of Anti-Azerbaijani sentiment in Armenia[citation needed], leading to massacres, expellings and human right violations of Azerbaijani people both in Armenia and lands occupied by Armenian forces in Azerbaijan[citation needed].

Azerbaijani refugees after the massacre in Khojaly

On 26 March 1990, the Bağanis Ayrum of Qazakh was attacked by the Armenian military who passed the border from Armenian and burned about 20 houses and massacred 11 Azerbaijani civilians.[11][12][13]

In the beginning of 1988 the first refugee waves from Armenia reached Baku. In 1988, Azerbaijanis and Kurds (around 167,000 people) were expelled from the Armenian SSR.[14] Following the Karabakh movement, initial violence erupted in the form of the murder of both Armenians and Azerbaijanis and border skirmishes.[15] According to Arif Yunus, the husband of Leyla Yunus, an Azerbaijani human rights activist , as a result of pogroms, Armenians killed 214 Azerbaijanis and ethnically cleansed Azerbaijanis from the territory of Armenia between 1987 and 1990.[16] On June 7, 1988 Azerbaijanis were evicted from the town of Masis near the Armenian–Turkish border, and on June 20 five Azerbaijani villages were cleansed in the Ararat Province.[17] Henrik Pogosian was ultimately forced to retire, blamed for letting nationalism develop freely.[17] Although purges of the Armenian and Azerbaijani party structures were made against those who had fanned or not sought to prevent ethnic strife, as a whole, the measures taken are believed to be meager.[17] The year 1993 was marked by the highest wave of the Azerbaijani internally displaced persons, when the Karabakh Armenian forces occupied territories beyond the Nagorno-Karabakh borders.[18] The Karabakhi Armenians ultimately succeeded in removing Azerbaijanis from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Up to 16,000 Azerbaijani civilians died over the course of the Nagorno-Karabakh War,[19] 841 went missing[20][21] and 724,000 Azerbaijanis were displaced from Armenia, Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding areas.[22]

Post-1994 era[]

Until 2020[]

The borders of the conflict between 1994 and 2020, after the ceasefire was signed. Armenian forces of Nagorno-Karabakh currently control some of Azerbaijan's territory outside the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. Azerbaijani forces, on the other hand, control Shahumian and the eastern parts of Martakert and Martuni.

The Anti-Azerbaijan sentiment grew in Armenia following the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.[23] When talking about the possibility of Azeris and Armenians ever living together again, former Armenian president Robert Kocharyan said the two peoples were "ethnically incompatible".[24]

In 2010 an initiative to hold a festival of Azerbaijani films in Yerevan was blocked due to popular opposition. Similarly, in 2012 a festival of Azerbaijani short films, organized by the Armenia-based Caucasus Center for Peace-Making Initiatives and supported by the U.S. and British embassies, which was scheduled to open on April 12, was canceled in Gyumri after protesters blocked the festival venue.[25][26]

On September 2, 2015, the Minister of Justice Arpine Hovhannisyan on her personal Facebook page shared an article link featuring her interview with the Armenian news website Tert.am where she condemned the sentencing of an Azerbaijani journalist and called the human rights situation in Azerbaijan "appalling". Subsequently, the minister came under criticism for liking a racist comment on the aforementioned Facebook post by Hovhannes Galajyan, editor-in-chief of local Armenian newspaper Iravunk; On the post, Galajyan had commented in Armenian: “What human rights when even purely biologically a Turk cannot be considered a human".[27]

2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War[]

Further information: 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war

Armenia struck many civilian Azerbaijani settlements outside of the conflict zone during the war, most frequently Tartar, Beylagan and Barda.[28][29] Reported attacks included an attack on Beylagan on 4 October, killing two civilians and injuring 2 others,[30][31] Goranboy on 8 October killing a civilian,[32] Hadrut on 10 October, seriously injuring a medical worker,[33] Tartar on 15 October, targeting a cemetery in the city resulting in three civilian deaths and at least five civilian injuries[34] and Fuzuli on 20 October, resulting in one civilian death and six injuries.[35][36] Subsequently, both a correspondent reporting from the scene for a Russian media outlet and the airport director denied that the airport had been hit,[37] while a BBC News journalist, Orla Guerin, visited the scene and found no evidence of any military target there.[38] Marie Struthers, Amnesty International's Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said that the "firing of cluster munitions into civilian areas is cruel and reckless, and causes untold death, injury and misery".[39] The Azerbaijani ombudsman called the attack a "terrorist act against civilians".[40] The use of cluster munitions was also reported by The New York Times.[41][42] On 11 December, Human Rights Watch released an extensive report about Armenia's unlawful rocket strikes on Azerbaijani civilian areas. The report investigated 18 separate strikes, which killed 40 civilians and wounded dozens more. During on-site investigations in Azerbaijan in November, Human Rights Watch documented 11 incidents in which Armenian forces used ballistic missiles, unguided artillery rockets, large-calibre artillery projectiles and cluster munitions that hit populated areas in apparently indiscriminate attacks. In at least four other cases, munitions struck civilians or civilian objects in areas where there were no apparent military targets. In addition to causing civilian casualties, the Armenian attacks damaged homes, businesses, schools, and a health clinic, and contributed to mass displacement. Human Rights Watch called the Armenian government to conduct transparent investigations into attacks by Armenian forces that violate international humanitarian law, or the laws of war.[43]

An ANAMA employee standing among the ruins of a destroyed residential building in Ganja, second largest city of Azerbaijan after an Armenian missile attack targeting the city.

By 9 November, more than 93 Azerbaijani civilians were killed by Armenian forces,[44] while by 2 November the war had displaced approximately 40,000 Azerbaijanis.[45] Armenia reportedly used cluster munitions[46] and according to Azerbaijan, white phosphorus against Azerbaijani civilians.[47][48]

Incidents of torture and ill treatment of Azerbaijani POWs by Armenian forces were reported during the war. Most famously, in mid-November, videos of two wounded Azerbaijani soldiers, Amin Musayev and Bayram Karimov, receiving first aid by Ukrainian journalist Alexander Kharchenko and Armenian soldiers after the ceasefire came into force were spread on social media platforms. Following this, a video was released showing one of them being abused inside a vehicle. It is reported that Musayev was lying on the ground in the car and asked "where are we going?" In response, the alleged Armenian soldier said, "If you behave well, go home," and cursed, after which it became clear that the Azerbaijani soldier had been kicked and tortured. On 18 November, a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Yerevan said that information about these people was "being investigated." The ICRC's representative in Yerevan, Zara Amatuni, also declined to say whether she had any information about the two alleged Azerbaijani soldiers. The Artsakh's Ombudsman said he had no information about Musayev and Karimov, but that if they were injured, they were "probably in hospital in Armenia." The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the issue was being investigated and will be reported to the relevant international organizations. According to the ministry, "the information about the torture of prisoners is first checked for accuracy and brought to the attention of relevant international organizations."[49][50] On 25 November, ICRC's representatives visited Musayev and Karimov in Yerevan.[51] On 5 December, the families of Musayev and Karimov were informed of their condition thorough ICRC. According to a reported copy of the letter sent by Musayev, he stated that his condition was well. It was also reported that Karimov had sent a letter to his family, but his family denied this.[49] As a result of negotiations with the participation of international organizations and the Russian Peacekeeping Command, Amin Musayev and Bayram Karimov were released from the Armenian captivity and brought to Baku on December 14 [52] and on December 30 discharged home from the hospital after receiving treatment. [53] On January 7, 2021 in a press conference sponsored by The State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Citizens of Azerbaijan,[54] Amin Musayev testified that he “was wounded in battle and couldn’t get out. A day later, the Armenians took me as prisoner [...] caught me off guard by getting close behind. Then they put me in a car, covered with a wet blanket. Throughout the entire journey, the Armenians stopped and beat me. Then I lost consciousness and woke up only in the hospital. At night in the hospital, some burning liquid was poured over my neck. [...] The doctor bandaged my wound every 2-3 days. For 33 days, I was subjected to inhuman torture, having deliberately operated on so that I remained disabled. [...] After 33 days, they blindfolded me, took me to the airport, and put me on a plane.” Musayev added that immediately after his release at Baku, he was operated on again in Azerbaijan. [55] [56]

See also[]

References[]

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  2. ^ Cornell, Svante. Small Nations and Great Powers: A Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict in the Caucasus, p. 69.
  3. ^ Tadeusz Swietochowski. Russia and Azerbaijan: A Borderland in Transition. Columbia University Press, 1995. ISBN 0-231-07068-3, ISBN 978-0-231-07068-3
  4. ^ Cornell, Svante. Small Nations and Great Powers: A Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict in the Caucasus, p. 56.
  5. ^ Firuz Kazemzadeh. Struggle For Transcaucasia (1917—1921), New York Philosophical Library, 1951
  6. ^ "1948-1953-cü illər deportasiyasının bəzi məqamları". 1905.az (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 2020-12-05.
  7. ^ Waal 2004, pp. 10–12.
  8. ^ Remnick, David (September 6, 1989). "Hate Runs High in Soviet Union's Most Explosive Ethnic Feud". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
  9. ^ Hosking, Geoffrey A. (1993). The First Socialist Society: A History of the Soviet Union from Within (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. p. 475.
  10. ^ Kenez, Peter (2006). A History of the Soviet Union from the Beginning to the End (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 272.
  11. ^ Армения-Азербайджан: это уже просто война (in Russian). Kommersant. 20 August 1990. Retrieved 2010-05-27.
  12. ^ Cullen, Robert. "A Reporter at Large, Roots." The New Yorker. 15 April 1991.
  13. ^ АРМЕНИЯ – АЗЕРБАЙДЖАН: ЭТО УЖЕ ПРОСТО ВОЙНА. Vlasts (in Russian). 20 August 1990.
  14. ^ Barrington, p. 230
  15. ^ Barrington, Lowell (2006). After Independence: Making and Protecting the Nation in Postcolonial & Postcommunist States. University of Michigan Press. p. 231. ISBN 0472068989.
  16. ^ Окунев, Дмитрий. ""Меня преследует этот запах": 30 лет армянским погромам в Баку". Газета.Ru (in Russian). Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  17. ^ Jump up to: a b c Svante E. Cornell (1999). "The Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict" (PDF). Silkroadstudies. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 April 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  18. ^ Geukjian, Ohannes (2012). Ethnicity, Nationalism and Conflict in the South Caucasus: Nagorno-Karabakh and the Legacy of Soviet Nationalities Policy. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 199. ISBN 978-1409436300.
  19. ^ Admin. "Civil War: Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (1992-1994)". omnilogos.com. Retrieved 2020-12-06.
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  21. ^ Aliyev, Heydar (13 January 1993). "Əsir və itkin düşmüş, girov götürülmüş vətəndaşlarla əlaqədar Dövlət Komissiyası haqqında Əsasnamənin təsdiq edilməsi barədə" [On approval of the Regulations on the State Commission on Captives, Missing and Hostages]. E-qanun.az (in Azerbaijani). Archived from the original on 10 January 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  22. ^ Haider, Hans. "Gefährliche Töne im "Frozen War"". Weltpolitik Nachrichten - Wiener Zeitung Online (in German). Retrieved 2020-12-06.
  23. ^ Cornell, Svante (2010). Azerbaijan Since Independence. M.E. Sharpe. p. 48. ISBN 978-0765630032.
  24. ^ Terian, Artur (16 January 2003). "Kocharian Says Armenians, Azeris 'Ethnically Incompatible'". Radio Azatutyun. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  25. ^ "Azerbaijani Film Festival Canceled In Armenia After Protests". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. April 13, 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  26. ^ Soghoyan, Yeranuhi (April 11, 2012). "Gyumri Mayor Permits Anti-Azerbaijani Film Protest; Bans Local Environmentalists". Hetq online. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
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  28. ^ "Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: Azerbaijan accuses Armenian forces of shelling the towns of Tartar, Barda and Beylagan". france24.com. France 24. 6 October 2020.
  29. ^ Julia Hahn (26 October 2020). "Civilians suffer amid Nagorno-Karabakh conflict". dw.com. DW News.
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  31. ^ Safi, Michael; agencies (2020-10-05). "Azerbaijan and Armenia accuse each other of shelling cities". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
  32. ^ Qazi, Anealla Safdar,Ramy Allahoum,Shereena. "Diplomatic efforts fail to calm Nagorno-Karabakh clash: Live news". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2020-11-21.
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  36. ^ "Prosecutor General's Office: Three civilians injured as a result of enemy's shelling of Garabagh village, Fuzuli district". Azerbaijan State News Agency. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
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  41. ^ Carlotta Gall (28 October 2020). "In Azerbaijan, a String of Explosions, Screams and Then Blood". The New York Times. In the morning, we had visited Garayusifli, a sleepy farming village just outside Barda, where people were burying victims of another rocket attack. Four people died, including a 7-year-old girl, and more than a dozen were wounded. Children had been playing on their bikes, and their parents sitting in the shade of their gardens, when the missile exploded, scattering cluster bomblets over the houses of several neighbors.
  42. ^ Carlotta Gall (28 October 2020). "In Azerbaijan, a String of Explosions, Screams and Then Blood". The New York Times. In all, 21 people died in downtown Barda in the rocket strike and 70 people were wounded, the government said in the evening, adding that the rockets were fired from a Russian-made Smerch multiple-rocket system and unleashed cluster bomblets. Designed to be used against armies in open spaces, cluster bombs are banned in much of the world because of their danger to civilians in residential areas.
  43. ^ "Armenia: Unlawful Rocket, Missile Strikes on Azerbaijan". hrw.org. Human Rights Watch. 11 December 2020.
  44. ^ "'Мы предупреждали Алиева!': Иран сбил азербайджанский военный самолёт". avia.pro. Archived from the original on 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2020-10-05.
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  48. ^ Ismayilova, Vafa (3 November 2020). "Armenia actively using phosphorus shells against civilian objects". AzerNews. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  49. ^ Jump up to: a b "Amin Musayev və Bayram Kərimovdan ailələrinə xəbər çatdırılıb". BBC Azerbaijani Work (in Azerbaijani). 18 November 2020. Archived from the original on 6 December 2020. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  50. ^ MENAFN. "Red Cross to undertake needed steps towards captured Azerbaijani soldiers". menafn.com. Retrieved 2020-12-09.
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  53. ^ "Возвращенные из армянского плена два азербайджанских солдата выписаны домой". Trend (in Russian). 30 December 2020. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  54. ^ "Удерживаемые армянами Дильгам Аскеров, Шахбаз Гулиев и Амин Мусаев рассказали об учиненных над ними зверствах (ВИДЕО)". Trend (in Russian). 7 January 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  55. ^ "Armenia couldn't come to terms with defeat and took revenge, by torturing us - Amin Musayev, freed from Armenian captivity". Trend News Agency. 7 January 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  56. ^ "I was insulted, beaten by Armenians – Azerbaijani soldier released from captivity". News.az. 7 January 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
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