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Vladimir Vardanov: Azeri soldiers shot their civilians in Khojalu

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  • Vladimir Vardanov: Azeri soldiers shot their civilians in Khojalu

    PanARMENIAN.Net

    Vladimir Vardanov: Azeri soldiers shot their civilians in Khojalu
    28.02.2009 16:20 GMT+04:00

    /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Azeri TV reports on Khojalu ` dead bodies of Azeris
    lying in a small field, are nothing more but an obvious lie, said
    Vladimir Vardanov, founder and commander of special-purpose force.

    `I can prove it. These were corpses of people who died long before
    it. As an observer, I was sitting right there, and these corpses
    appeared on the site after the end of the battle, some 7-8 hours
    later,' he told Bakour Karapetian, who provided PanARMENIAN.Net with
    the script of the interview.

    `I don't think that the Azerbaijan authorities could be so mean as to
    shoot their escaping population. It was dark, I couldn't see. I saw an
    exchange of fire with the position of Nakhijevanik, which lasted some
    1-2 minutes, not more. After it, the refugees, understanding that it
    was a wrong direction, didn't go to the positions of Nakhijevanik. I
    don't exclude that some refugees died during the exchange of fire.
    When Azeri refugees went to Nakhijevanik, they were forced back from
    the position. Some 15-20 minutes after it, a very fierce fire was
    opened from the Azerbaijan positions. I don't exclude that Azeri, who
    were in front of the position of Nakhijevanik, while seeing the
    numerous group approaching them, thought that Armenians were attacking,
    because before that they had an exchange of fire with Armenians. When
    refugees appeared in front of Azeri, a very fierce firing started. It
    is possible that the soldier, who watching over the position, was
    sleeping, but during that firing, he opened his eyes and `started' to
    fire uninterruptedly. A very strong firing continued. I believe that
    soldiers in the Azerbaijan position killed the civilians,' Vardanov
    said.

    `If we objectively approach the situation, I think that the governing
    body cannot punish those soldiers: it was their position, they were
    keeping it safe and they didn't have any information. If those people
    died in Khodgalou, they wouldn't appear on the territory under the
    inspection of Azerbaijan, Azeri would not come to take photographs,
    the highly esteemed governing body wouldn't cry over the dead
    population. Me, who was fighting against them, felt bad seeing it, but
    when they showed the place, it became clear for me. After a very
    fierce firing, Azeri soldiers, who were among the refugees, started to
    fire back and it became a real battle. I don't exclude that the
    corpses were gathered from the Turkish firing point and shifted to a
    medium size clearing to blame Armenians and to take photographs of the
    corpses. There were no corpses there. When the fire ceased, I was
    informed by Soviet portable radio transmitters: `You can come back'.
    Next midday we returned and there was no exchange of fire there,' he
    said.

    Azerbaijan claims that on February 26, 1992 Khojalu was attacked by
    Armenian forces. The Azeri authorities accuse Armenians of `killing
    civilians and taking some 2000 people hostage.'
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