(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 25
By Elnur Baghishov- Trend:
The Armenian serviceman took a teaspoon out of his pocket,
showed it and said that the eyes of the Azerbaijani people were
gouged out with it, World-famous photographer Reza Deghati said in
an interview with Trend while sharing his memories about the Khojaly
genocide.
“In fact, I have seen and photographed wars and tragedies around
the world for more than 40 years,” Deghati said.“I heard about
Azerbaijan's Khojaly tragedy on February 27 and arrived in
Azerbaijan within several days. I met with four health workers of
the French humanitarian organizations at the then Intourist Hotel
in Baku.”
The world-famous photographer added that the representatives of
these organizations said that the Armenian people were in a
difficult situation in Khankandi city and that they were carrying
medicines to help them.
“I told them that a tragedy had been actually committed against
the Azerbaijani people and we went together to Aghdam district,”
Deghati said.
“I met with National Hero of Azerbaijan Allahverdi Baghirov in
front of the executive power building in Aghdam,” the photographer
said.“I noticed that Baghirov was pure-hearted and courageous. I
told them that the representatives of the French humanitarian
organizations wanted to go to Khankandi and Baghirov said that he
would help.”
“That time, numerous people gathered in front of the Aghdam
executive power building,” the world-famous photographer said.“I
found out that they arrived from Khojaly and that most of them
gathered behind the Aghdam mosque.”
Deghati learned about the scale of the tragedy.
“Khojaly residents said that atrocities were committed against
humanity,” the world-famous photographer added.“It was really hard
to believe that a person could commit such atrocity. More than 100
people gathered in front of the morgue to which Khojaly people's
bodies were brought.”
Deghati said that the bodies were brought by the representatives
of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
“I saw that those people were severely tortured,” the
photographer added.“I also called the representatives of the
French humanitarian organizations to come with me and informed them
about the incident. We were told that there were many wounded in
the hospital and the French health workers began treating
them.”
The photographer added that Baghirov informed him about
exchanging a group of Armenian and Azerbaijani detainees and asked
him to speak French during the exchange of detainees because there
were a lot of French-speaking Armenian servicemen.
“When the detainees were exchanged, an Armenian serviceman, who
was a French citizen, said that a lot of French servicemen were
fighting there,” Deghati said.“That Armenian serviceman asked me
why I took photos of the Azerbaijanis and said that it was
dangerous.”
“A drunken Armenian serviceman who was near him took a teaspoon
out of his pocket and showed it to me,” Deghati said.“The Armenian
serviceman, who speaks French, clarified that when they see
Azerbaijani people, they gouge out their eyes with a teaspoon. When
the detainees were exchanged, I saw that the Azerbaijani detainees
were severely tortured while the Armenian detainees did not look
like detainees at all. All this is obvious in the photos.”
The photographer added that seven bodies were brought during one
day.
“People were looking for their relatives there,” Deghati said.
“An elderly woman lost her husband and son at night during that
tragedy. Every time when the bodies were brought, she went to look
for them. One day, the elderly woman shouted that 'I found them,
but they have no eyes'. I immediately recalled the spoon shown by
the Armenian serviceman. I went there and saw that those
individuals had no eyes. The doctors said that those individuals
were alive when their eyes were gouged out and then they were
frozen to death.”
The photographer spoke about his plans to report the Khojaly
tragedy.
'A number of journalists and photographers reported about the
Khojaly tragedy,” Deghati said.“After seeing this tragedy, I had a
sense of responsibility to tell the world about the atrocities
committed against the victims and convey their words.”
“I have been conveying this truth to the world since 1992,
mainly in France (as is known, there are many Armenian people in
France and pressure was exerted on me when I hold a conference or
organize an exhibition on Khojaly tragedy) because I feel this
responsibility,” Deghati said.“I am currently creating a new
website called 'Khojaly Witness'.”
“I collect my own materials and photos of other film directors,
journalists and photographers on this website for it to be an
important source of information about the Khojaly genocide,” the
photographer said.“Moreover, I have prepared three books together
with ADA University. These books will be published in about a
month.”
“I stayed several days in Azerbaijan after the second
Armenia-Azerbaijan Karabakh war,” the photographer said.“The
reason is to convey to the world the vandalism committed by Armenia
in the Karabakh region for 30 years. For about a year I have been
taking photos of Armenia's so-called 'protection' of Karabakh
region and the way of their living there.'
Deghati said that besides the website about the Khojaly tragedy,
he has developed another website.
“This website is about all the events related to Karabakh since
1992,” the photographer said.
“The most important thing for me is the restoration of the
Karabakh region,” Deghati said.“I have already started taking the
corresponding photos. I would like to show to the world that one
group was just engaged in sabotage, was destructing and devastating
everything in Karabakh during 30 years.”
“But now another group has been restoring everything for two
years,” Deghati said. 'Let the world see which of these two groups
is the real owner of these lands. The young servicemen sacrificed
their lives for these lands and real owners of these lands are now
reviving them.”