Story Of Lion Surrounded By Hyenas: Azerbaijan's National Hero Natig Gasimov

(MENAFN- AzerNews)

Fatime Letifova Read more

The Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict stands as one of the most tragic events of the 20th century, profoundly affecting millions of Azerbaijani lives.

In the late 1980s, the conflict began with Armenia openly claiming Azerbaijani historic lands and resorting to acts of terror, which escalated into military aggression against Azerbaijan. As a result, Armenian forces occupied 20% of Azerbaijan's territories, including Garabagh, displacing nearly one million Azerbaijanis from their homes. Those who resisted faced unimaginable torture, as witnessed in Khojaly and Mesheli.

During those turbulent times, citizens from other regions of Azerbaijan joined the military ranks to liberate Garabagh. Their patriotic spirit, rooted in their Turkic-Muslim identity, gave soldiers separated from their families for extended periods the strength to endure.

The massacres in Garabagh claimed the lives of determined and courageous youths like Natig Gasimov.

In 1991, Natig Gasimov volunteered to join the Azerbaijani Armed Forces on the frontlines. His journey began in Agdam and continued until his heroic stand at the Church overlooking Khojaly. In 1992, near the village of Pirlar in Khojaly, he engaged in a life-and-death battle for strategic high ground near the Albanian church. Despite losing six comrades during the fight, Natig continued his brave stance at the strategically important church.

By defending the post single-handedly for five days and nights, he further provoked the Armenians, who used him as a bargaining chip, threatening him to execute 22 residents of Khojaly. Refusing to allow harm to civilians, Natig climbed onto the church roof and took the Azerbaijani flag with him to surrender to the Armenians. After that, he was never heard from again.

Italian photographer Enrico Sarsini documented the moments when Natig was interrogated by Armenians in Asgaran. Among his photos was Vitali Balasanyan, who later played a prominent role in the so-called Artsakh Republic's security council, implicated in the Khojaly massacres. During the filming of the documentary "Son," British director and screenwriter Karan Singh portrayed Natig Gasimov's life.

However, despite being questioned about Natig and other Azerbaijani prisoners of war during the filming of "Son," Vitali Balasanyan refused to provide answers, perpetuating false narratives about the handover of Azerbaijani POWs to Baku during the Garabagh conflict.

It should be noted that due to the Armenian armed forces' fascist methods during the conflict, 24,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, and 4,000 were taken prisoner. The majority of those captured were children, elderly, and women.

During the filming of "Son," a former Armenian soldier recounted that Natig, along with other Azerbaijani prisoners of war, endured torture before being brutally murdered.

Until 2020, Armenia continued to provoke along the Azerbaijan border as usual. At that time, the Armenian leadership believed Azerbaijan would always turn a blind eye to this injustice, but history was being rewritten. In September 2020, the Azerbaijani army launched a 44-day counter-offensive and liberated Garabagh from Armenian occupation. This action demonstrated globally that Armenians could not confront the Azerbaijani army without external support.

In 2023, as a result of anti-terrorism operations, local separatists attempting to establish a spurious republic in Azerbaijani territories were neutralized, and Garabagh was completely liberated.

Currently, the Azerbaijani leadership continues to rebuild and restore historical and cultural monuments, residential areas, and infrastructure destroyed by Armenians.

Natig Gasimov and the hundreds of Azerbaijani prisoners of war who sacrificed themselves for Azerbaijani lands and citizens are still demanding to be returned to Azerbaijan. However, today's Armenian leadership does not know how to cover up the massacres committed during the Garabagh war.

Thirty-two years later, yesterday, by the order of the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, Natig Gasimov was posthumously awarded the title of National Hero. The attention paid to this brave soldier was warmly welcomed by the Azerbaijani people.

Azerbaijan's national hero Natig Gasimov, along with other courageous Azerbaijani soldiers who followed in his footsteps, are recognized not for committing crimes against children, women, and the elderly like some Armenian criminals, but for their sacrifice, pride, and patriotism.

The Azerbaijani people will never forget their national hero, Natig Gasimov!

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