From Sumgait to Artsakh: The chain of impunity continues, Genesis Armenia says

Genesis Armenia Think Tank/Foundation has issued a statement on the anniversary of the Sumgait pogroms, which we present below:

“The events that took place in Sumgait from Feb. 27–29, 1988, when Armenian civilians were subjected to indiscriminate and brutal mob violence in an Azerbaijani city, represent one of the most criminal episodes in late 20th-century Azerbaijani history. Hundreds of Armenians were killed, tortured, and forcibly expelled from their homes under conditions of state complicity, marking a rise in ethnically targeted crimes. These pogroms, along with the subsequent anti-Armenian violence in Baku and elsewhere, were widely condemned by the international community at the time.

The legacy of impunity for these crimes helped perpetuate cycles of violence, culminating in 2023 in the large-scale ethnic cleansing of the native Armenian population of Artsakh. Furthermore, the unlawful detention and trials in Baku of Armenian prisoners of war and Artsakh’s former officials continue this pattern of anti-Armenian atrocities by Azerbaijan.

Only the immediate and unconditional release of all Armenian prisoners of war and detainees, the guaranteed right of displaced Armenian populations to return to Artsakh, and the establishment of strong, internationally monitored security guarantees for their protection can contribute to restoring stability in the region. Peace cannot be built on displacement and violence.

The leadership of Azerbaijan continues to pursue a policy of historical revisionism, which is also a crime against the civilizational and moral framework of humanity. Following the events in Khojalu and the crimes committed against its own people three decades ago, Aliyev has once again accused Armenia of genocide, stating that “Armenia, the enemy” must always live in fear, as it does now, because it is on the basis of that fear that Azerbaijanis today live in peace.

The safe and collective return of Armenians to their homeland in Artsakh, along with long-term security measures, would constitute decisive steps on the path to reconciliation between nations and a significant break in the cycles of violence that have affected generations, including in Sumgait. Only through such concrete measures can the region emerge from past crimes and lay the foundation for lasting peace.”