Tweet
Artsakh Remembers Sumgait Pogroms, 1,200 ARF Members Join Commemoration
By Weekly Staff on February 28, 2015
http://armenianweekly.com/2015/02/28/sumgait-2/
STEPANAKERT (A.W.)--Around 1,200 members of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) joined high-level officials and
citizens in Nagorno-Karabagh (Artsakh) on Feb. 27 to commemorate the
27th anniversary of the Sumgait anti-Armenian pogroms, which took
place in 1988.
More than 1,000 ARF-D members traveled from Armenia to Artsakh to
participate in the commemoration events, carrying a message of
solidarity.
Artsakh President Bako Sahagyan, Speaker of the National Assembly
Ashot Ghulyan, high-level officials, and clergy--including Primate of
the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev
Martirosyan--visited the Sumgait Memorial site in Stepanakert, where
they laid flowers. ARF-D Bureau Chairman Hrant Markarian led the
visiting party members in the commemoration events, reported
YerkirMedia.
The 1988 anti-Armenian Sumgait pogroms are commemorated in Artsakh,
with the participation of around 1,200 ARF-D members. (Photo:
Aparaj.am)
Sahagyan met with the ARF-D representatives and a delegation of
Artsakh War veterans from Armenia, as well as members of Armenia's
National Assembly.
ARF-D Bureau Chairman Hrant Markarian joined President Bako Sahagyan
and other high-level officials in the commemoration ceremonies.
(Photo: Aparaj.am)
Speaking with the Armenian Weekly on Feb. 25, ARF-D Bureau member Giro
Manoyan said the purpose of the visit was to express support for
Artsakh. "The visits to the military units and outposts are aimed at
bringing attention to the constant ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan
and expressing support to our soldiers who are defending the borders
and the line of contact. The meetings with the Republic of Artsakh
leadership are also to express support to Artsakh," said Manoyan.
2014 was the bloodiest year in the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict since the
1990's, with 39 Azerbaijanis and 33 Armenians killed. By comparison,
the previous worst year on record, 2012, saw 14 Armenian and 20
Azerbaijani soldiers killed.
This year marks the 27th anniversary of the deadly pogroms of Sumgait,
which took place on Feb. 27, 1988. The pogroms are considered the
beginning of a systematic campaign by Azerbaijan's OMON Special Forces
to use mass violence to uproot Armenians from Azerbaijan and Karabagh.
The Sumgait tragedy and its violent repetitions throughout the country
between 1988-91 led to the disappearance of 450,000 Armenians living
in the long-established Armenian community of Azerbaijan.
http://armenianweekly.com/2015/02/28/sumgait-2/
By Weekly Staff on February 28, 2015
http://armenianweekly.com/2015/02/28/sumgait-2/
STEPANAKERT (A.W.)--Around 1,200 members of the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation-Dashnaktsutyun (ARF-D) joined high-level officials and
citizens in Nagorno-Karabagh (Artsakh) on Feb. 27 to commemorate the
27th anniversary of the Sumgait anti-Armenian pogroms, which took
place in 1988.
More than 1,000 ARF-D members traveled from Armenia to Artsakh to
participate in the commemoration events, carrying a message of
solidarity.
Artsakh President Bako Sahagyan, Speaker of the National Assembly
Ashot Ghulyan, high-level officials, and clergy--including Primate of
the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop Pargev
Martirosyan--visited the Sumgait Memorial site in Stepanakert, where
they laid flowers. ARF-D Bureau Chairman Hrant Markarian led the
visiting party members in the commemoration events, reported
YerkirMedia.
The 1988 anti-Armenian Sumgait pogroms are commemorated in Artsakh,
with the participation of around 1,200 ARF-D members. (Photo:
Aparaj.am)
Sahagyan met with the ARF-D representatives and a delegation of
Artsakh War veterans from Armenia, as well as members of Armenia's
National Assembly.
ARF-D Bureau Chairman Hrant Markarian joined President Bako Sahagyan
and other high-level officials in the commemoration ceremonies.
(Photo: Aparaj.am)
Speaking with the Armenian Weekly on Feb. 25, ARF-D Bureau member Giro
Manoyan said the purpose of the visit was to express support for
Artsakh. "The visits to the military units and outposts are aimed at
bringing attention to the constant ceasefire violations by Azerbaijan
and expressing support to our soldiers who are defending the borders
and the line of contact. The meetings with the Republic of Artsakh
leadership are also to express support to Artsakh," said Manoyan.
2014 was the bloodiest year in the Nagorno-Karabagh conflict since the
1990's, with 39 Azerbaijanis and 33 Armenians killed. By comparison,
the previous worst year on record, 2012, saw 14 Armenian and 20
Azerbaijani soldiers killed.
This year marks the 27th anniversary of the deadly pogroms of Sumgait,
which took place on Feb. 27, 1988. The pogroms are considered the
beginning of a systematic campaign by Azerbaijan's OMON Special Forces
to use mass violence to uproot Armenians from Azerbaijan and Karabagh.
The Sumgait tragedy and its violent repetitions throughout the country
between 1988-91 led to the disappearance of 450,000 Armenians living
in the long-established Armenian community of Azerbaijan.
http://armenianweekly.com/2015/02/28/sumgait-2/