| Original Message |
VirtualAni
Posted Oct 16, 2007 9:32 PM
RA SUGGESTED THAT PACE PREPARE REPORT ON DESTRUCTION OF THE NARIMANOV CEMETERY IN AZERBAIJAN
DeFacto Agency, Armenia
Oct 9 2007
The Armenian delegation to PACE suggested that a report on the
destruction of Narimanov cemetery in Azerbaijan be prepared, David
Harutyunian, head of the Armenian delegation to PACE, stated in the
course of a briefing on the outcomes of PACE fall session October 8.
According to Harutyunian, '~Rthe barbarian destruction of the
Narimanov cemetery in Azerbaijan is a striking example of the
violation of the basic rights of Jewish, Russian and Georgian
communities'~R. '~RDeputies from Serbia, UK, Czechia, Finland,
Portugal and Russia have already signed under this initiative, which
will enable us to submit the issue for discussion'~R, he noted.
A note: in 2003 Baku's Central Architectural Department elaborated a
project of a new highway, a part of which must pass by the territory
of the Christian Narimanov cemetery of Baku. In connection with the
construction a decision on the reburial of the graves situated in
the cemetery of Govsany was rendered. The process of reburial started
current September 1.
However, according to Azeri and international information agencies,
in reality Baku executive power simply destroys the graves of the
Narimanov cemetery. The reason for the Azeris' attitude is undoubtedly
the fact that the cemetery is Christian; Armenians, Russians, Georgians
and Tatars are buried there. Therefore various organizations and the
governments of the above-mentioned nations' representatives repeatedly
lodge complaints to the Republican and interstate organizations. To
note, it is not the first destruction of the Christian burials in
Azerbaijan: in 2005 the graves of over 500 Russian Kazaks, who had
died in the war with Persians late 19 century and had been buried on
the Caspian island of Sary, were destroyed.
Last year thousands of tombstones and khachkars (cross-stones) were
destroyed in the Armenian cemetery of the town of Julfa. The monuments
to the Unknown Soldier, gravestones of the Soviet soldiers were also
demolished in Baku.
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