[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 35 (Tuesday, March 12, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RECOGNIZING THE PEOPLE OF NAGORNO KARABAKH AND THE TWENTY-FIFTH 
                   ANNIVERSARY OF THE SUMGAIT POGROMS

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                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 12, 2013

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the twenty-fifth 
anniversary of the pogroms against people of Armenian descent in 
Sumgait, Azerbaijan. This ungodly massacre in 1988 resulted in the 
murder of scores of Armenians. Tragically, women and girls were 
viciously raped and hundreds of Armenians were wounded. The chaos led 
to thousands of Armenian refugees who were left without homes or 
livelihoods. It was from the ashes of these terrible fires that arose 
the Nagorno Karabakh democracy movement that has, after many terrible 
years of Azerbaijani war, blockades, and aggression, resulted in hard-
won freedom and democracy for the proud citizens of this ancient 
Christian land.
  As we recognize this tragedy, it is also proper that we celebrate the 
courage of the people of Nagorno Karabaldi as the first to rise up 
against the Soviet Union and to demand their right to freedom and self-
governance. We celebrate the self-determination of the people of 
Nagorno Karabakh, their declaration of independence more than two 
decades ago, and their role in ending the Soviet threat to America. We 
should never forget the brave efforts of this small nation in sparking 
the democracy movement that ended decades of dictatorial rule in the 
USSR and eventually led to the fall of the Soviet Union.
  Sadly, over the past quarter century, the Azerbaijani government has 
attacked the people of Karabakh with a clenched fist. Azerbaijan has 
consistently obstructed the peace process, walking away from its own 
agreements, and instead sought to incite hatred within its own 
population with anti-Armenian rhetoric and regular cross border attacks 
and threats of renewed war. Perhaps the most telling example was the 
President of Azerbaijan's decision to pardon, praise, and even promote 
Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani soldier who was sentenced to life in 
prison for the brutal murder of unarmed Armenian Army officer Gurgen 
Margaryan in Budapest in 2004.
  Today, I ask my colleagues to stand with the proud people of Nagorno 
Karabakh because our two peoples share so many of the same foundational 
ideals including a commitment to the values of freedom, human rights, 
self-determination, and democracy.

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