KHOJALI TRAGEDY: PATRIOTISM, GRIEF, AND A PUSH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 000342

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/CARC; EUR/SNEC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/2016
TAGS: PHUM KDEM PREL PGOV KCRM SOCI AM AJ
SUBJECT: KHOJALI TRAGEDY: PATRIOTISM, GRIEF, AND A PUSH
TOWARD GENOCIDE PROSECUTION 14 YEARS LATER

Classified By: DCM JASON HYLAND FOR REASONS 1.4 B AND D.


1. (C) SUMMARY: Azerbaijan's commemoration of the Khojali
Massacre (a 1992 attack by Armenian forces that resulted in
the death of a reported 613 civilians) contained a decidedly
political message this year, with pointed outreach to the
international community and a disturbing uptick in
anti-Armenian rhetoric. At events organized by the MFA and
the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party, GOAJ officials called upon
the international community to hold the Armenians responsible
for "genocide" committed in Khojali and elsewhere. The MFA
also announced plans to prosecute 72 Armenians for genocide
and asked for the international community's help in arresting
those individuals through Interpol red notices. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) The Foreign Ministry kicked off the weekend's
commemorations with a 90-minute briefing for the diplomatic
community on February 24. During the briefing, officials from
the MFA, parliament and military prosecutor's office outlined
legal efforts to prosecute those responsible for the
massacre. With July 2005 amendments to the Azerbaijani
criminal code that recognize the crime of genocide, the GOAJ
has now opened a criminal case against 72 (presumably
Armenian) individuals. According to the Deputy Military
Prosecutor, the GOAJ has requested that Interpol issue red
notices for the 72. GOAJ officials asked for the
international community's help in bringing these individuals
to justice, complaining that parliaments all over the world
focused attention on the "unsubstantiated Armenian claims of
genocide" while ignoring the atrocities and war crimes
committed by Armenians against Azerbaijanis over the last 200
years. The briefing closed with a screening of a short film
on the massacre that contained repeated comparisons of
Khojali to the Holocaust and anti-Armenian rhetoric that
bordered on incitement.

YAP ORGANIZES POLITICAL COMMEMORATION
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3. (C) At a commemoration held on February 25, the ruling
Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP) managed to keep domestic politics
largely out of the speeches. Only one oblique reference was
made to the fact that the government at the time (headed by
Ayaz Mutallibov, now a minor opposition figure) bears some
responsibility for the events. YAP Secretary General Ali
Akhmedov played master of ceremonies as the event began with
a 15-minute video of the massacre, including showing the same
clips of mangled corpses twice. Speakers, who ranged from
current MPs to IDPs from both Khojali and the occupied
territories, criticized Armenians and criticized the
international community for not recognizing the massacre and
not doing more to solve the conflict. Several speakers
stated that these events "prove" the very nature of
Armenians. One individual went so far as to say it should
not be called "Armenian fascism," but rather simply
"Armenianism." He and others went on to list atrocities
committed by Armenians dating back 100 years. Another
speaker criticized the fact that the Ambassadors representing
the Minsk Group Co-Chairs were not present. Speakers urged
those present not to forget the injustices done to the
"peace-loving" and tolerant Azerbaijanis and to spread the
word internationally about what has been done to them. The
Government also organized a public wreath-laying at the
monument to the Khojali victims. Given the nature of the
speeches and the extensive news coverage of the event, one
came away with the sense that the massacre had been used more
to prove a political purpose (i.e. criticizing the
international community and taking another opportunity to
vilify Armenians) than to honor the memory of those who died.


DIASPORA IS ENCOURAGED TO WORK HARDER
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4. (SBU) In addition to domestic events, the national press
provided in-depth coverage of the way Azerbaijanis in
different countries commemorated the event. Diaspora in 15
countries organized protests to bring attention to the
Khojali massacre. The State Committee on Work with
Azerbaijanis Abroad funded some of these activities. Apart
from GOAJ-supported diaspora organizations, Turks and
Turkish- Azerbaijani communities demonstrated their
solidarity and marched on the streets of European cities.

TELEVISION COVERAGE PROMOTES PATRIOTISM
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5. (SBU) Television coverage over the February 25-26 weekend
focused heavily on the anniversary. TV stations combined a

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mix of gruesome footage and patriotic programming. In
contrast to previous years (when TV channels refrained from
broadcasting any entertainment programs during the two-day
commemoration),music programs with a patriotic touch were
aired. Other programs concentrated on the heroism and bravery
of Azerbaijanis during different battles in the history of
the country. Channels also showed two new movies about
Khojali as well as several historic programs on Armenian
attacks and occupation of Azerbaijani lands throughout the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Political parties, civil
society and youth organizations also organized this year to
call for increased public awareness and to work more
effectively to publish books, to produce movies, and by other
means deliver a strong message to the international community.

COMMENT
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6. (C) Remembering Khojali has become a unifying event in
Azerbaijan. Described as one of the most tragic events in
modern Azerbaijan's history, Khojali scenes are replayed year
after year and published repeatedly to keep alive the cruelty
and brutality of those events. This year's events had a
decidedly international element, with a pointed message to
the international community that Azerbaijan had suffered
injustices at the hands of the Armenians that must be
addressed. The uptick in anti-Armenian rhetoric, alleging
centuries of genocide and vilifying Armenians as inherently
cruel people, also is a new element to the commemorations.
We are concerned that the weekend's events, particularly
those sanctioned by the GOAJ, served only to widen the divide
between Armenians and Azerbaijanis and make an eventual peace
process that much more difficult.
HARNISH