216 Azerbaijanis killed, 6,522 recognized as victims during recent deportation from Armenia

During the recent deportation from Armenia, 216 Azerbaijanis were killed, and 6,522 people were recognized as victims, Gasim Mammadov, Deputy Head of the Investigation Department of Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General's Office, said during a hearing on the safe and dignified return to Western Azerbaijan, held in Milli Majlis, Report informs.

Mammadov stated that the crimes committed against Western Azerbaijanis during the investigation period were conditionally divided into four stages: 1905-1907, 1918-1920, 1947-1953, and 1987-1991. During these periods, a large number of Azerbaijanis were killed and subjected to forced displacement.

He underlined that as a result of the crimes committed between 1987 and 1991 alone, more than 250,000 Western Azerbaijanis were forced to leave their historical lands.

The official added that the investigation materials have also revealed that 216 people were killed during these processes. At the current stage of the investigation, 6,522 people have been interviewed and recognized as victims.

Mammadov also pointed out that in some cases, the legal heirs of deceased persons were recognized as the legal heirs of the victim. Additionally, the statements of individuals confirming the killing of 216 people have been recorded.

Mammadov emphasized that one of the significant aspects of the investigation into the crimes against Western Azerbaijanis is the collection of various evidence and research samples from different institutions, historians, or researchers.

"At the current stage, we are trying to gather valuable evidence confirming the commission of these crimes in a single center, within the criminal case materials," he added.

He further stated that valuable evidence reflecting the crimes committed by Armenians against Western Azerbaijanis, published in the press agencies of foreign countries, has been added to the case materials, not only for the acts committed between 1987 and 1991 but also for those committed at the beginning of the century.

The investigation measures in this regard are ongoing, and the public will be informed in the future, Mammadov emphasized.