[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 33 (Thursday, February 27, 2014)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN REMEMBRANCE OF SUMGAIT, KIROVABAD AND BAKU MASSACRES

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                           HON. BRAD SHERMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 27, 2014

  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.

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