ALEXANDER MANASIAN: MASSACRES OF ARMENIANS IN BAKU SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS GENOCIDE OF PART OF ARMENIANS IN EASTERN TRANS-CAUCASUS

Noyan Tapan
Jan 13, 2010

YEREVAN, JANUARY 13, NOYAN TAPAN. According political scientist
Alexander Manasian, the massacres of Armenians committed 20 years
ago in Baku should be considered as a genocide of part of Armenians
in the Eastern Trans-Caucasus. As he mentioned at a January 13 press
conference, the Armenians of Azerbaijan with a number of nations took
part in the formation of the state of Azerbaijan. "Under the USSR
Azerbaijan was called "international Azerbaijan" in consideration
that it is not a national state but a republic consisting of various
Moslem nations and Armenians," A. Manasian said.

According to the political scientist, Armenian diplomacy has not
managed so far to realize the events of 1988-1900 as a genocide and
to present it to the international community as a continuation of the
Turkish policy of 1915. According to A. Manasian, the main initiators
and executors of Baku massacres were Azerbaijan's Turks, and those who
risking their lives hid and saved many Armenians were representatives
of other nations, Talishes, Tats, Lezgis, etc. According to A.

Manasian, Azerbaijan's Turks slaughtered their very people in Khojalu
to ascribe it to Armenians.

In his words, Gorbachov's administration was much to blame for the
events of Baku as it did not order the troops to intervene in the
conflict up to the last moment. A. Manasian emphasized that USSR's
President of that time Mikhail Gorbachov did not want a bloodshed
while the blood of Armenians was shed in Azerbaijan.