From March 22 to 26, 1920, Azerbaijanis—with the participation Turkish officers and emissaries—carried out a brutal massacre of Armenians in Shushi. More than a century from these attacks, Azerbaijan continues its barbaric policy toward Armenians and Artsakh.
The Artsakh Foreign Ministry on Tuesday issued a statement to mark the Azerbaijani-perpetrated massacres and to declare that it is “impossible to destroy the Armenian spirit of Shushi.”
Below is the text of the statement.
Today we bow our heads before the memory of the innocent victims of the genocide of the Armenian population of the city of Shushi, carried out by the authorities of the artificially created Azerbaijan Democratic Republic 102 years ago, from March 22 to March 26, 1920. Tens of thousands of people became victims of this heinous crime perpetrated through Azerbaijan’s expansionist aspirations. Many Armenians were brutally murdered, the survivors were expelled from their homes. Most of the city, which was not only the capital, but also the historical and cultural center of Artsakh, was completely destroyed and lay in ruins for several decades until it was demolished by the Azerbaijani authorities in the middle of the twentieth century.
The Shushi massacres, in which Turkish officers and emissaries took an active part, was aimed at transferring the Armenian Genocide to Eastern Armenia within the desire to advance the implementation of the pan-Turkic ideology.
![](https://media.asbarez.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/22114050/Shushi-1920-scaled-1.jpeg)
This tragedy—horrifying in its cruelty—outlined the true goals of the Azerbaijani authorities in relation to Artsakh and the Armenian people. It not only changed the demography of Shushi, but also left an indelible mark on the character of the city and pre-determined the subsequent processes.
After almost 70 years, the Azerbaijani authorities again resorted to a proven tool in their arsenal – the massacre and deportation of the innocent Armenian population, organizing mass killings and pogroms in Sumgait, Baku, Gandzak (Kirovabad) and other settlements of the former Azerbaijani SSR.
In 2020, the crime was repeated again. Having occupied the city of Shushi during the 44-day aggression against the Republic of Artsakh, Azerbaijan again expelled the Armenian population of the city.
Both in 1920 and 2020, Azerbaijan sought not only to annihilate the Armenian population of the town of Shoushi and Artsakh as a whole, but also to erase its history, culture and spirit. Azerbaijan continues to adhere to this strategy to this day.
However, it is impossible to destroy the Armenian spirit of Shushi, which is inextricably linked with Artsakh. It was revived in May 1992 and will be revived again.