Sumgait massacres: 30 years later

By decree of Azerbaijani authorities On February 27, 1988 in the city of Sumgait located 20 km from Baku the massacres of Armenian population started. The massacre was carried out with inhumane violence, besides the Armenian population was robbed and their possessions destroyed. During the 3 days of the massacres more than 100 people were killed and dozens were injured while the USSR government was silent. The killings of Armenian civilian population were carried out with unspeakable cruelty: part of the killed had been tortured to death and their bodies burnt.

On February 29 Soviet troops entered Sumgait but did almost nothing to protect the Armenian population that was being killed. Under the conditions of such connivance and impunity the Azerbaijani raiders were able to execute the order given to them.

The killings of Sumgait and those of Baku carried out in 1990 that took lives of Armenians, were nothing but the response to the peaceful demonstrations of the Armenian population of Artsakh for the sake of the realization of their right to self-determination.

On July 7, 1988 the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning the Sumgait massacres.