(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Elnur Enveroglu read more The thirty-year Occupation is also a bitter consequence of the
tragedies committed in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan. Behind
these three decades there are dozens of tragedies, murders and war
crimes. Meshali tragedy has been recorded in history as one of
those events.
The village of Meshali, once located in the heart of the
mountains with its charming nature, ice springs, green and deep
forests has been completely erased from the face of the earth
today. On December 23, 1991, at around 7 o'clock in the morning,
Armenian terrorist groups surrounded the village, brutally murdered
the local villagers, burned and looted every last house. Since
there was a huge loss of life that morning, the incident was
written down in history under the name of the village - Meshali
tragedy.
According to preliminary information, Armenians killed
more than 30 Azerbaijanis (elderly people, women, children) and
brutally burned many of them. There were people who went missing
during the tragedy. No one survived from the houses of 3 families
of the villagers, 14 women, children and old people were burned
alive.
32 years have passed since the massacre in Meshali village of
Khojaly region, which is still under the control of the separatist
and occupying Armenian regime under the protection of the Russian
"peacekeeping" contingent.
Actual genocide was committed in Meshali. The bodies of innocent
people were transported by helicopters for two days.
Investigations after the tragedy once again proved that by
committing such massacres, Armenians received special instructions
from Moscow and Yerevan to completely clear the former
'Nagorno-Karabakh' of Azerbaijanis.
Looking at the chronology of the events, it can be clearly seen
that the reasons for the massacres committed in Meshali village of
Khojaly district are somewhat practical in nature. In other words,
it is clear that the human crime in Meshali was also a preparation
for the Khojaly genocide that took place only 3 months later.
Unfortunately, the world community's indifference and lack of
reaction to the Meshali tragedy laid the groundwork for the
Armenian fascists to commit a larger-scale genocide on February 26,
1992.
The occupation of Garabagh was also remembered for the murders
committed by Armenian terrorist groups. Although the lands freed
from occupation after the Patriotic War are somewhat salve for this
wound, it is difficult to forget the history. Because the
perpetrators of this crime have not yet received the punishment
they deserve.
It is no coincidence that the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham
Aliyev, in one of his speeches, made the following statement about
the Armenian criminals involved in the murders: "I am sure
that one day the Armenian criminals who committed the Khojaly
tragedy, showed cruelty to the civilian population, and destroyed
the civilian population will answer before the court. That day will
come."
Yes, the honourable President was right and that day is
near.
It should be noted that on February 26, 2023, when President
Ilham Aliyev visited the Khojaly Genocide Memorial, he stated that
he identified the exposure of the perpetrators of the
Khojaly Genocide and wide awareness of the international community
as one of the priority areas of Azerbaijan's foreign
policy .
Just the other day, the detention of the participant of the
Meshali genocide once again shows that the state of Azerbaijan has
not forgotten the atrocities committed against the civilian
population and that the criminals involved in the genocide against
our people will not be able to escape liability.
For example, until the end of the last century, Israel pursued
war criminals and brought them to justice regardless of where they
were hiding in the world. Some Holocaust survivors sought to keep
the issue of justice for Nazi crimes alive. Chief among these was
Simon Wiesenthal. After being liberated from Mauthausen
concentration camp, he worked for the War Crimes Section of the
United States Army. In 1947 he opened the Jewish Historical
Documentation Center in Austria to collect information about Nazi
perpetrators who had escaped justice. Wiesenthal used the leads he
collected to pressure governments to renew efforts to bring the
perpetrators of Nazi crimes to justice. In some instances, his
leads led to the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators.
But as time passed, some of the war criminals died and the
search gradually slowed down as there were very few suspects
left.
Although 30 years have passed since the atrocities committed by
Armenian terrorists, they are still remembered and the faces of the
criminals are well recognized. The Republic of Azerbaijan continues
its activities in the pursuit of those criminals. The criminals
involved in the genocide against Azerbaijanis will have to answer
for their crimes sooner or later.
Whether the state of Armenia stands behind them, or whether they
take refuge in some country and hide there - it makes no difference
to Azerbaijan. Even if the Armenian state defends them, it will
eventually bring official Yerevan to responsibility.
After Khachaturian was detained at the Lachin border checkpoint, the fact that the Armenian MFA protested against it means
that this country openly supports war crimes at the state
level . This once again shows that the current Armenian
government, which supposedly "wants" the signing of a peace treaty
with Azerbaijan and the establishment of good neighbourly
relations, is actually trying to justify the crimes committed by
them by defending the people involved in the genocide against
Azerbaijanis.
And finally, let us note once again that the state of Azerbaijan
will continue its efforts to prosecute and punish those who
committed atrocities against Azerbaijanis in the early 90s.