Armenian MFA on 34th anniversary of Maragha massacres: Sustainable peace requires an environment free of rhetoric of enmity
ArmInfo.Sustainable peace requires an environment free of rhetoric of enmity and strong commitment to addessingg humanitarian issues, as noted in a statement by the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), published on X, on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of the Armenian pogroms in the village of Maragha in Martakert region of the northern Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (Artsakh).
"34 years have passed since the Armenian village of Maragha was subjected to a preplanned and brutal massacre on April 10, 1992. The atrocities in Maragha were not an isolated event, but a continuation of the systematic violence previously witnessed during the pogroms in Sumgait, Kirovabad, and Baku. Evidence of this violence, recorded by HRW and Amnesty International, highlights the tragic consequences that follow when systemic hatred and persistent impunity remain unaddressed," the statement reads.
As the Armenian Foreign Ministry recalled, as a result of the pogroms, over 50 civilians were killed, including 30 women, while 5,000 residents were forcibly displaced by Azerbaijani forces. Additionally, according to the Ministry, 29 women and nine children were taken hostage during the attack, while the fate of 19 individuals remains unknown to this day.
"Honoring the memory of the victims and the missing requires more than just tribute: it demands a genuine commitment to preventing the recurrence of such crimes. Armenia remains dedicated to this approach, emphasizing that a sustainable peace requires an environment free of rhetoric of enmity and strong commitment to addressing humanitarian issues and advancing reconciliation," the Armenian Foreign Ministry concluded.
It should be noted that on April 10, 1992, after several hours of artillery shelling, Azerbaijani armed units invaded Maragha. A significant portion of the population had been evacuated, but those remaining in the village were subjected to inhumane torture and murder by Azerbaijani soldiers. Artsakh's self-defense forces managed to liberate Maragha, but two weeks later, Azerbaijani troops attacked the village again and committed further crimes against residents who had returned to bury their relatives. Maragha was captured by Azerbaijani armed forces and remains under Azerbaijani occupation to this day. The massacre of the Armenians of Maragha was another manifestation of the consistent policy of ethnic cleansing carried out by the Azerbaijani authorities against members of the Armenian nation, first in Sumgait, then in Baku and other settlements in Azerbaijan in 1988-1990, and later in Northern Artsakh.