107 years since the Azerbaijan Genocide
107 years have passed since the Armenian Dashnaks committed the act of genocide against Azerbaijanis together with the Bolsheviks. Taking advantage of the political turmoil in Russia in February and October 1917, the Armenians managed to carry out their nefarious plans under the Bolshevik flag.
Between March 30 and April 3, 1918, the Baku commune, under the pretense of fighting counter-revolutionary elements, began implementing their sinister agenda to cleanse the Baku province of Azerbaijanis. The Baku Soviet and the armed formations of the Armenian Dashnaks committed genocide against the Azerbaijani people in Baku and various other regions of the country, resulting in the death of nearly 12,000 Azerbaijanis and leaving tens of thousands missing.
During this brutal period, Armenians destroyed historical and architectural monuments, including shrines, and even shelled iconic buildings like the Ismailiyya building. The Dashnak armed detachments ruthlessly killed people and burned their corpses in public places.
The atrocities continued as Armenians declared Azerbaijani lands as territory of the Armenian SSR in 1920, leading to further displacement of Azerbaijanis from their historical lands. The deportation policy escalated, culminating in the mass expulsion of Azerbaijanis from their homes in 1948-1953 and 1988.
The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic declared March 31 as a national mourning day twice, in 1919 and 1920. After gaining independence, Azerbaijan officially recognized the genocide of Azerbaijanis committed by Armenians in 1998, under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev.
In 2013, the Guba Genocide Memorial Complex was established in memory of the Azerbaijanis who perished in the massacres by Bolshevik-Armenian armed groups. The Genocide Memorial Museum of the Military Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan was also created to shed light on the horrific events that transpired in 1918.
Despite these efforts, the genocide of Azerbaijanis in 1918 has not yet received a legal assessment at the international level. It remains crucial to continue raising awareness about the atrocities committed against the Azerbaijani people and seek justice for the victims of this dark chapter in history.
