The Executive Committee of the Azerbaijan Trade Union Confederation (ATUC) has issued a statement on the European Parliament’s defamatory resolution of March 10, 2022 on the “destruction of historical and cultural monuments belonging to Armenians” in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan.
The statement said:
The European Parliament’s resolution on the “destruction of historical and cultural monuments belonging to Armenians” in East Zangazur and Karabakh is a source of bitter laughter and regret. This inappropriate resolution, prepared without any research, without reference to the facts, and based only on the crazy ideas voiced by the Armenians, is so slanderous that no one can doubt it. First of all, because the Armenians were later relocated to these territories, they have no ancient history or deep cultural heritage. In general, the territories that created the state and exist today are the lands of Azerbaijan.
It is enough to look at the atrocities and acts of vandalism committed by Armenians in the twentieth century to reveal their true nature. In 1905-1907 and 1918-1920, tens of thousands of Azerbaijani civilians were subjected to genocide, expelled from their homes, hundreds of settlements and historical and cultural monuments were destroyed. What are the Armenians, the owners of such ugly and destructive, controversial acts, and the international organizations that submit to their slanders, trying to accuse Azerbaijan, the center of tolerance !?
In 1948-1953, 150 thousand and in 1988 another 250 thousand Azerbaijanis were expelled from their native lands in Armenia. Their civil and economic objects were plundered, mosques, religious and historical monuments destroyed, Armenia became a monoethnic state. Why do all these events not make the European Parliament think! Why are they not interested in the fate of the cultural heritage of the Azerbaijanis expelled from these territories? Of course, this is a manifestation of the well-known double standards and bias.
Lets not go too far, let’s look at the last 30 years. In the eyes of Europe, which speaks of democratic values and human rights, and in the eyes of Europe, which patents these concepts, Armenians armed with foreign patrons have occupied 20% of Azerbaijan’s territory, civilians have been brutally killed, and one of the bloodiest events in human history has taken place in Khojaly. , more than one million Azerbaijanis have been forced to live as refugees and IDPs for 30 years.
During the occupation, not only mosques, religious, historical and cultural monuments belonging to Azerbaijan, but even work in those areas reached the point where, after destroying everything, they began to damage nature and the environment. To see this, it is enough to visit the liberated territories.
These conditions have been created for all foreign journalists and diplomats, and visits have been organized several times. But why is the European Parliament so concerned about the “destruction of the Armenian cultural iris” in the absence of facts and evidence, even in the territory of Azerbaijan, but in the midst of Armenian atrocities, it does not say a word about it. Don’t they see that in Aghdam, Fizuli, Jabrayil, which were big cities at the time, in general, everything was destroyed for the existence of the living world.
During the occupation of Azerbaijani lands by Armenia, 13 world importance (6 architectural and 7 archeological), 292 national importance (119 architectural and 173 archeological) and 330 local significance (270 architectural, 22 archeological, 23 garden, park, monumental and memorial monuments, 15 decorative example of art) were historical and cultural monuments. Everyone knows their condition today. Also, 63 out of 67 Muslim mosques in East Zangazur and Karabakh (13 in Shusha, 5 in Aghdam, 16 in Fizuli, 12 in Zangilan, 5 in Jabrayil, 8 in Gubadli, 8 in Lachin) were completely destroyed and 4 were partially destroyed. Armenians kept pigs and cows in mosques to insult Muslims. There are photos and videos confirming this.
All these acts of vandalism committed by Armenians are a gross violation of universally accepted principles of international law, including the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the 1954 and 1970 UNESCO Conventions. It is not so difficult for international organizations to investigate and obtain these facts, but to adopt resolutions that will damage their reputation, citing Armenian lies.
As the ATUC Executive Committee, we reiterate that the invincible Azerbaijani Army, led by Muzaffar Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, ended Armenia’s 30-year occupation in just 44 days, destroying an army created for aggressive purposes and carrying out this ugly mission. Azerbaijan has solved the violated principles of international law, which international organizations have not been able to restore, and a decent response has been given to separatism, which is a constant threat to peace and security in the world. In short, justice prevailed.
Those territories are being revived, and the rights of more than one million IDPs, whose rights have been violated in the eyes of the world for 30 years, are being restored. All this shows that this historic mission of Azerbaijan should be welcomed by international and regional organizations.
Immediately after the end of the occupation, Azerbaijan, unlike the Armenian vandals, is engaged in landscaping work in those territories. In this context, active work is being done to restore religious and cultural monuments, including those belonging to the Christian heritage.
Of course, the European Parliament did not know that Azerbaijan is a multicultural and tolerant country where representatives of all cultures, religions and peoples live together peacefully, kindly and happily. Regardless of origin, all cultural heritage is protected at the state level. That is why we call on the European Parliament not to worry about someone’s false and slanderous allegations, to investigate the truth and to understand the realities. Only then can we clearly see the realities that Azerbaijan has brought to the region for peace and security. Otherwise, such resolutions could destabilize and undermine peace efforts.
We once again strongly condemn the factual, unrealistic and biased resolution of the European Parliament, and call on the institution to take a fair position, eliminate its mistakes and prevent such cases in the future. ”
ATUC member organizations
Trade Union Council of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
“Khidmat Ish” Trade Union Federation
“Kand Qıda Ish” Trade Union Federation
“Metal-Ish” Trade Union Federation
Aviation Workers Trade Union
Trade Union of Motor Transport and Road Workers
Municipal Workers’ Union
Baku Steel Company LLC Trade Union
Public Administration and Public Service Workers Trade Union
Independent Trade Union of Railwaymen
Maritime Workers’ Union
Trade Union of Electric Power and Electrical Engineering Workers
Free Trade Union of the National Academy of Sciences
Ministry of Emergency Situations Workers’ Trade Union
Customs Workers Trade Union
“Construction-Workers” Trade Union
Defense Industry Workers Trade Union
Cultural Workers Trade Union
Metropolitan Workers’ Union
Oil and Gas Industry Workers’ Union
Transport, Communications and High Technology Workers Trade Union
Entrepreneurship, Private Science and Light Industry Workers Trade Union
Health Workers Trade Union
Trade Union of Water Industry Workers
Natural Resources and Environmental Workers Trade Union
Free Trade Union of Educators
Local Industrial and Utility Workers Trade Union