It is no secret that during the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, Armenia pursued a policy of systematic vandalism. The occupiers destroyed, looted, appropriated, and falsified everything related to the origin and purpose of cultural, historical, and religious monuments. One only needs to visit the once Armenian-inhabited areas and listen to eyewitnesses to understand the extent of this destruction. Armenian vandals even desecrated the graves of deceased Azerbaijanis, leaving behind desecrated burial sites.
Much has been said about Armenian barbarism, but the real hell for Azerbaijanis was the terror and physical brutality carried out by Armenian militants.
Armenian terrorism swept across the Caucasus under the guise of Bolshevism. In Azerbaijan, Armenians committed atrocities against peaceful civilians, subjecting them to horrific torture. There are documented accounts and testimonies from survivors about people being burned alive, raped, and humiliated in the most degrading ways — all simply because they were Turkic and Muslim.
This bloodshed had a clear objective. Beginning in January 1988, Armenia launched a campaign under the political slogan “Armenia without Turks.” This aggression aimed to unilaterally seize Nagorno-Karabakh and annex it to Armenia. Active military operations began in 1991–1992.
The Armenian hatred for Turks was never concealed — it was vocal and open.
As a result of ethnic cleansing, more than 250,000 Azerbaijanis and 18,000 Kurds were forcibly expelled from around 200 settlements in Armenia. A total of 217 Azerbaijanis were killed, 49 froze to death while fleeing Armenian persecution, 76 died from beatings, 115 were burned alive, 16 were shot, and 10 suffered fatal heart attacks after witnessing horrors. Others were murdered in hospitals by doctors, drowned, hanged, electrocuted, or beheaded.
Then came one of the darkest chapters in Azerbaijani history: the 1992 Khojaly massacre, where 613 people — including women, children, and the elderly — were killed.
On the night of February 25–26, 1992, Armenian militants, with the direct involvement of the 366th motorized rifle regiment of the former USSR, attacked Khojaly. Around 2,500 civilians tried in vain to flee the town. The genocide and ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis is a vast, tragic story — one that cannot be captured fully in a single article.
Karabakh soil is soaked with the blood of victims of Armenian terror. Since restoring its territorial integrity, Azerbaijan continues to uncover mass graves in the liberated territories. Forensic studies reveal bound limbs and skulls with severe trauma — clear evidence of execution-style killings.
The Azerbaijani army has cleansed its land of occupiers, criminal elements, and the remnants of Armenia’s aggressive policies. Today, Azerbaijan celebrates the triumph of justice by restoring life to the liberated territories.
Delegations of travelers, journalists, public figures, and international diplomats have repeatedly visited these areas.
Despite overwhelming evidence proving Azerbaijan’s position and exposing Armenian crimes, not a single authoritative international organization or global leader has taken real steps to hold Armenia accountable. No sanctions. No punishment. No formal condemnation.
The world remains silent. So do international organizations that are otherwise known for swift, coordinated responses. Baku, however, has developed an immunity to these double standards and biased approaches — an immunity that allows Azerbaijan to resolve its issues independently, without violating international law. And that very fact deeply unsettles Azerbaijan’s adversaries.
The ongoing trials of Armenians responsible for crimes in Karabakh have only further demoralized Armenian society and its supporters.
The courtroom has revealed horrifying details of Armenian atrocities. Witnesses and victims have described the hell they endured — mass killings, torture, people burned alive, bodies discarded in rivers.
One survivor recounted how Armenians killed his parents, siblings, and six relatives — the youngest only six months old. Another recalled that civilians had no escape but through the mountains. A third described how Armenian soldiers burned the elderly alive in community centers, brutally murdered women, and even slaughtered animals in acts of wanton cruelty.
Many still don’t know the fate of their loved ones. The memories of those who survived the Armenian reign of terror will never be forgotten. These memories will live on — as will the determination to never again allow the Armenian occupier to set foot on Azerbaijani land.
The toothless institutions of international law and the deaf, blind, and indifferent global community may continue their display of selective ignorance, but Azerbaijan knows its mission — and it will not retreat. It will ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
Alla Zeydullayeva
Translated from minval.az
