Azerbaijan: Information on the treatment of ethnic Armenian Azerbaijanis in Baku since 1989
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | AZE14173 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Azerbaijan: Information on the treatment of ethnic Armenian Azerbaijanis in Baku since 1989, 1 May 1993, AZE14173, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6acfa34.html [accessed 24 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The treatment of ethnic Armenians in Baku since the commencement of hostilities over Nagorno-Karabakh has deteriorated according to a professor of history at Carleton University who specializes in the former Soviet Union (17 May 1993). Anti-Armenian pogroms first took place in 1988, and were especially prominent in the cities of Sumgait and Kirovabad (Helsinki Watch Sept. 1992, 5). In January 1990 there were pogroms in Baku which resulted in Soviet troops storming the city (Ibid.). Despite the presence of Soviet troops, these pogroms resulted in the deaths of about 68 Armenians (Ibid., 5-6).
The Department of State's Country Reports 1992 states that Armenians still residing in Baku live in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty (1993, 709). The same source also documents cases of Armenians being kidnapped and arbitrarily arrested (Ibid., 705-706).
According to another report, the Minister of Internal Affairs appeared on television to initiate a campaign to identify Armenians who were attempting to hide their ethnic identity (Index on Censorship Aug. 1992, 44).
The rise to power of the Azerbaijani Popular Front (AzPF) in 1992 further heightened Armenian fears, as radical elements within the AzPF are thought to be responsible for the anti-Armenian pogroms in Baku in January 1990 (RFE/RL 26 June 1992, 1).
Additional or corroborative information on the above subject is currently unavailable to the DIRB.
References
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1992. 1993. U.S. Department of State. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Helsinki Watch. September 1992. Bloodshed in the Caucasus: Escalation of the Armed Conflict in Nagorno Karabakh. New York: Human Rights Watch.
Index on Censorship [London]. July/August 1992. "Azerbaijan (Ex-USSR)."
Professor of History, Carleton University. Ottawa. 17 May 1993. Telephone interview.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). 26 June 1992. RFE/RL Research Report [Munich]. Vol. 1, No. 26. Elizabeth Fuller. "Azerbaijan After the Presidential Elections."
Attachments
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1992. 1993. U.S. Department of State. Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 705-706, 708-709.
Helsinki Watch. September 1992. Bloodshed in the Caucasus: Escalation of the Armed Conflict in Nagorno Karabakh. New York: Human Rights Watch, pp. 5-6.
Index on Censorship [London]. July/August 1992. "Azerbaijan (Ex-USSR)," p. 42.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). 26 June 1992. RFE/RL Research Report [Munich]. Vol. 1, No. 26. Elizabeth Fuller. "Azerbaijan After the Presidential Elections," p. 1.
