Doc. 9516

8 July 2002

Destruction of the historical cemeteries and creation of new permanent “cemeteries” of catastrophe by Armenians in the occupied territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mr R. Huseynov and others

Amongst the cultural heritage that has undergone the most severe destruction and devastation in the territory of Azerbaijan occupied by the Republic of Armenia, first of all the religious monuments, shrines and cemeteries should be stressed. The occupiers devastated all the Muslim cemeteries in Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts of Azerbaijan and plundered valuable tombstones from these territories. These acts of vandalism have been committed with the aim of outraging Azerbaijanis on one hand, and on the other hand wiping out all the historical signs of Azerbaijanis from these lands by devastating the cemeteries, which as historical documents are of significant importance.

      The Armenian military forces have created many new death zones and cemeteries, which will cause in the future new death casualties, in the place of hundreds of devastated Azerbaijani cemeteries in the occupied territories. Thus they have buried mined containers with radioactive waste in six different places under occupation. The explosion of these containers can turn an area of approximately 300 square km into a death zone.

      Another such kind of container with the fougasse type explosive has been buried between the districts of Aghdam and Asgaran and this can turn an area into a cemetery within a 5O km radius.

      After the conference on combating new incurable tuberculosis viruses organised by the Ministry of Health of Armenia on 12 July 2000 special cemeteries in the occupied villages of Melikli, Magsudlu, Alimadatly of Aghdam district of Azerbaijan have been created. People that have died of dangerous infectious and incurable diseases are systematically brought from Armenia and buried in these closed cemeteries. In the village of Garakhanbayli of Fuzuli district of Azerbaijan a research laboratory has been built to work on the dead bodies infected with tuberculosis viruses. Those dead bodies are buried in the village of Kurmahmudlu located one km away from this laboratory. The polluted and poisoned waters dangerous for life from this laboratory are thrown into the Köndalanchay river running into the river of Araz.

      In 1999 the Armenians constructed a storehouse for nuclear waste with the help of Russian specialists in the residential area of Chaykand of the Kalbajar district of Azerbaijan. Moreover, the Armenians created nuclear waste cemeteries in the occupied Azerbaijani villages of Zabukh, Migidara (district of Lachin), Khanlig, Bala, Soltanli (district of Gubadli), Khidirli, Göytapa (district of Aghdam), Dilagarda, Pirahmadli (district of Fizuli).

      Moreover, the Armenians have plans to turn large Azerbaijani territories in the direction of Nakhchivan and Ganja into cemeteries by using bacteriological weapons containing anthrax in the case of an outbreak of hostilities (K. Alibekov: “Biological danger”, Washington, 2000).

      The Assembly expresses a profound concern over the activities of the Republic of Armenia, which cause and will cause serious danger for the health of the citizens of Azerbaijan and the population of the whole region and considers it necessary to discuss this problem in the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee of the Assembly.

      The Assembly recommends that the Committee of Ministers use urgent pressure mechanisms on the Republic of Armenia in order to put an end to the above-mentioned activities.

Signed : ¹

Huseynov R., Azerbaijan, LDR

Aliyev G., Azerbaijan, EDG

Aliyev I., Azerbaijan, EDG

Bajrami, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, EDG

Coifan, Romania, LDR

Gönül, Turkey, EPP/CD

Goulet, France, EDG

Gülek, Turkey, SOC

Hajiyeva, Azerbaijan, EPP/CD

Huseynov A., Azerbaijan, EDG

Ibrahimov, Azerbaijan, LDR

Kalkan, Turkey, EDG

Kilclooney, United Kingdom, EPP/CD

Kovalev S. Russia, LDR

Landsbergis, Lithuania, EPP/CD

Mutman, Turkey, SOC

Oliverio, Italy, SOC

Penchev, Bulgaria, NR

Pollozhani, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, EDG

Prisăcaru, Romania, SOC

Rakhansky, Ukraine, UEL

Rigoni, Italy, EPP/CD

Sağlam, Turkey, EPP

Seyidov, Azerbaijan, EDG

Telek, Turkey, EDG

Tepshi, Albania, EPP/CD

Torbar, Croatia, EPP/CD

Toshev, Bulgaria, EPP/CD

Vakilov, Azerbaijan, EDG

Yürür, Turkey, EDG

¹        SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left

      NR: not registered in a group