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February 28, 2014 Friday
Washington: SPEECH OF HON. BRAD SHERMAN OF CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2014
Washington
The Library of Congress, The Government of USA has issued the following Speech:
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, 26 years ago today was the first day in a
three-day pogrom perpetrated against the Armenian residents of Sumgait
in then-Soviet Azerbaijan. Although official figures reported 30
deaths, it is believed that hundreds were murdered and injured as a
result of the pogrom.
Just a week before the violence erupted, the Armenians of Nagorno
Karabakh voted to unify region with Armenia--the beginning of the
Karabakh movement. In the days immediately after this vote Azeri
civilians and local officials in the city of Sumgait held rallies
calling for ``death to Armenians''.
On the night of February 27, 1988, Armenian residents in Sumgait were
targeted and indiscriminately raped, mutilated and murdered. Calls for
help from Armenians were ignored by local police and city officials.
Journalists were shut out from the area. The violence raged on for
three days before Soviet troops were able to put an end to the pogrom.
Witnesses of the horrific massacres later testified that the attacks
were planned, as civilians had gathered weapons and the exits of the
cities were blocked in advance to prevent Armenians from escaping. The
homes of Armenians were marked so that the Azeri mobs could easily
target them.
Unfortunately, the perpetrators of the pogrom succeeded in their
ultimate goal--driving out Armenians. Fearing more violence, Armenians
fled Sumgait. Later that year, another anti-Armenian pogrom occurred
in Kirovabad, Azerbaijan from November 21st to 27th, which also forced
hundreds of Armenians to flee the region. In January of 1990 violent
mobs targeted the Armenian community of Azerbaijan's capital, Baku.
I would like to honor the memory of Armenians killed in the pogroms of
Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku. If we hope to stop future massacres, we
must acknowledge these horrific events and ensure they do not happen
again.
This month also marked the 10th anniversary of the heinous murder of
Armenian Army Lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan at a NATO training camp in
Budapest, by Ramil Safarov, a Lieutenant of the Azerbaijani Army.
Safarov used an axe to hack Margaryan to death while he was sleeping.
After being convicted of murder by Hungarian courts, he was
transferred to Azerbaijan where he was immediately pardoned and given
a hero's welcome. Several Azerbaijan government officials have hailed
Safarov's actions as patriotism. This is unacceptable, and the
international community should hold Azerbaijan accountable for this.
Recognizing the ethnic-cleansing of the Armenians from Azerbaijan is
an important step. However, we need to do more--we need to demonstrate
to Azerbaijan that the United States is committed to peace and to the
protection of Artsakh from coercion.
We must call for an end to all threats and acts of coercion by
Azerbaijan's government against the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.
Congress should strengthen Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act by
removing the President's ability to waive U.S. law prohibiting aid to
Azerbaijan because of its continuing blockade against Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh. In 1992, Congress prohibited aid to Azerbaijan
because of its continuing blockade against Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh. However, in 2001, Congress approved a waiver to this
provision and administrations have used the waiver since then to
provide aid to Baku. Azerbaijan should not be provided aid from the
United States as long as they continue a policy of threats and
blockades against Artsakh.
I urge the Administration to remove all barriers to broad-based
U.S.-Nagorno-Karabakh governmental and civil society communication,
travel and cooperation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
February 28, 2014 Friday
Washington: SPEECH OF HON. BRAD SHERMAN OF CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2014
Washington
The Library of Congress, The Government of USA has issued the following Speech:
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, 26 years ago today was the first day in a
three-day pogrom perpetrated against the Armenian residents of Sumgait
in then-Soviet Azerbaijan. Although official figures reported 30
deaths, it is believed that hundreds were murdered and injured as a
result of the pogrom.
Just a week before the violence erupted, the Armenians of Nagorno
Karabakh voted to unify region with Armenia--the beginning of the
Karabakh movement. In the days immediately after this vote Azeri
civilians and local officials in the city of Sumgait held rallies
calling for ``death to Armenians''.
On the night of February 27, 1988, Armenian residents in Sumgait were
targeted and indiscriminately raped, mutilated and murdered. Calls for
help from Armenians were ignored by local police and city officials.
Journalists were shut out from the area. The violence raged on for
three days before Soviet troops were able to put an end to the pogrom.
Witnesses of the horrific massacres later testified that the attacks
were planned, as civilians had gathered weapons and the exits of the
cities were blocked in advance to prevent Armenians from escaping. The
homes of Armenians were marked so that the Azeri mobs could easily
target them.
Unfortunately, the perpetrators of the pogrom succeeded in their
ultimate goal--driving out Armenians. Fearing more violence, Armenians
fled Sumgait. Later that year, another anti-Armenian pogrom occurred
in Kirovabad, Azerbaijan from November 21st to 27th, which also forced
hundreds of Armenians to flee the region. In January of 1990 violent
mobs targeted the Armenian community of Azerbaijan's capital, Baku.
I would like to honor the memory of Armenians killed in the pogroms of
Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku. If we hope to stop future massacres, we
must acknowledge these horrific events and ensure they do not happen
again.
This month also marked the 10th anniversary of the heinous murder of
Armenian Army Lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan at a NATO training camp in
Budapest, by Ramil Safarov, a Lieutenant of the Azerbaijani Army.
Safarov used an axe to hack Margaryan to death while he was sleeping.
After being convicted of murder by Hungarian courts, he was
transferred to Azerbaijan where he was immediately pardoned and given
a hero's welcome. Several Azerbaijan government officials have hailed
Safarov's actions as patriotism. This is unacceptable, and the
international community should hold Azerbaijan accountable for this.
Recognizing the ethnic-cleansing of the Armenians from Azerbaijan is
an important step. However, we need to do more--we need to demonstrate
to Azerbaijan that the United States is committed to peace and to the
protection of Artsakh from coercion.
We must call for an end to all threats and acts of coercion by
Azerbaijan's government against the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh.
Congress should strengthen Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act by
removing the President's ability to waive U.S. law prohibiting aid to
Azerbaijan because of its continuing blockade against Armenia and
Nagorno Karabakh. In 1992, Congress prohibited aid to Azerbaijan
because of its continuing blockade against Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh. However, in 2001, Congress approved a waiver to this
provision and administrations have used the waiver since then to
provide aid to Baku. Azerbaijan should not be provided aid from the
United States as long as they continue a policy of threats and
blockades against Artsakh.
I urge the Administration to remove all barriers to broad-based
U.S.-Nagorno-Karabakh governmental and civil society communication,
travel and cooperation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress