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ARMENIAN, AZERBAIJANI PROTESTS OUTSIDE AZERBAIJANI EMBASSY IN VILNIUS
Baltic News Service / - BNS
February 27, 2013 Wednesday 12:16 PM EET
VILNIUS, Feb 27, BNS - The Armenian community held a protest outside
the building that accommodates the Azerbaijani Embassy on Wednesday.
Azerbaijani protesters lined up in front of the Armenian participants
of the rally in the course of the action.
Police officers in charge of public peace told BNS that the rally
involved about 100 Armenians and a few dozen Azerbaijani supporters.
The Armenians waived their national flag and held slogans, which said:
"We Will Never Forget Armenian Massacres in Sumgaite, Baku, Maragh,"
"Lithuanians Aren't The Nation Who Can Be Bought for Caviar and Oil,"
"Shame on you Azeri." They also photos of people killed during mass
killings of Armenians over 20 years ago.
Robert Khachyaturov, a representative of the Armenian community in
Vilnius, told BNS the protest was held to commemorate victims of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Precisely at this time over 20 years ago
the massacre of Armenians took place in Sumgaite.
"It is taking place in Vilnius because Lithuanians were the first
from the times of the Soviet Unions to launch a democratic movement,
and this action was aimed not only to honor the memory of Armenian
victims but also to remind Lithuania that Lithuania and Armenia were
together 25 years ago and we want to be together now," he told BNS.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's supporters held slogans, saying "Karabakh Is
Our Land" and "I Want to Go Home to Karabakh."
"On February 26-27, 1992 the Armenian army with the help of the
Russian army targeted Azerbaijan in Karabakh zone and they occupied
this, they did genocide to us. (...) We want all the world to know
this and we want our land back," Rustam Azimov, a student of the
International School of Law and Business in Vilnius, told BNS.
The protests were held at the crossing of Gedimino Avenue and J.
Tumo-Vaizganto Street close to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.
Inhabited by Christian Armenians, Nagorno Karabakh is part of the
Muslim Azerbaijan, according to the international law. However, it
declared independence back in 1991, thus triggering a war between
Armenia and Azerbaijan that ended in fragile truce in 1994.
Although Armenia and the rest of the world haven't recognized Nagorno
Karabakh's independence, the republic uses the Armenian currency and
Yerevan has been providing financial support to the republic.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly threatened to get back control over Nagorno
Karabakh by force.
Baltic News Service / - BNS
February 27, 2013 Wednesday 12:16 PM EET
VILNIUS, Feb 27, BNS - The Armenian community held a protest outside
the building that accommodates the Azerbaijani Embassy on Wednesday.
Azerbaijani protesters lined up in front of the Armenian participants
of the rally in the course of the action.
Police officers in charge of public peace told BNS that the rally
involved about 100 Armenians and a few dozen Azerbaijani supporters.
The Armenians waived their national flag and held slogans, which said:
"We Will Never Forget Armenian Massacres in Sumgaite, Baku, Maragh,"
"Lithuanians Aren't The Nation Who Can Be Bought for Caviar and Oil,"
"Shame on you Azeri." They also photos of people killed during mass
killings of Armenians over 20 years ago.
Robert Khachyaturov, a representative of the Armenian community in
Vilnius, told BNS the protest was held to commemorate victims of the
Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Precisely at this time over 20 years ago
the massacre of Armenians took place in Sumgaite.
"It is taking place in Vilnius because Lithuanians were the first
from the times of the Soviet Unions to launch a democratic movement,
and this action was aimed not only to honor the memory of Armenian
victims but also to remind Lithuania that Lithuania and Armenia were
together 25 years ago and we want to be together now," he told BNS.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan's supporters held slogans, saying "Karabakh Is
Our Land" and "I Want to Go Home to Karabakh."
"On February 26-27, 1992 the Armenian army with the help of the
Russian army targeted Azerbaijan in Karabakh zone and they occupied
this, they did genocide to us. (...) We want all the world to know
this and we want our land back," Rustam Azimov, a student of the
International School of Law and Business in Vilnius, told BNS.
The protests were held at the crossing of Gedimino Avenue and J.
Tumo-Vaizganto Street close to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.
Inhabited by Christian Armenians, Nagorno Karabakh is part of the
Muslim Azerbaijan, according to the international law. However, it
declared independence back in 1991, thus triggering a war between
Armenia and Azerbaijan that ended in fragile truce in 1994.
Although Armenia and the rest of the world haven't recognized Nagorno
Karabakh's independence, the republic uses the Armenian currency and
Yerevan has been providing financial support to the republic.
Azerbaijan has repeatedly threatened to get back control over Nagorno
Karabakh by force.