THE KHOJALU CASE: A SPECIAL DOSSIER

by Hayk Demoyan, Levon Melik-Shakhnazaryan
translated by Ruzanna Amiraghyan

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Contents | 1. Foreword | 2. Sources | 3. The political situation in Azerbaijan in 1991-1992
4. Reasons for the assault of Khojalu | 5. The Khojalu offensive
6. About the participation of CIS 366-th regiment | 7. Development of the events after February 26
8. The causes of casualtes among civilians in Khojalu | 9. The total number of casualties
10. Conclusions | 11. Summary | 12. Appendix

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2. SOURCES

The sources used in this research are mainly comprised of several works of a documentary type. Those are books by an American journalist Thomas Goltz The Azerbaijan Diary and that by a Russian columnist Kirill Stolyarov Raspad: ot Nagornovo Karabakha do Belovezhskoy Pushi. Both works, except for their source study characteristics and witness information, are distinguished if not for anti-Armenian then, at any case, are notable for open pro-Azerbaijani sympathies of the authors. At the same time, the mentinoed sympathies are expressed towards various political camps of the Azerbaijani political elite. Thomas Goltz's work, along with its anti-Russian and anti-Armenian orientation, is saturated also with sentiments against Mutalibov and an overt sympathy to the activists of the Popular Front of Azerbaijan. Stolyarov’s book, on the contrary, is targeted against the functionaries of the Popular Front and stands out for obvious pro-Mutalibov sympathies. The comparison of the data brought by the two authors permits to freely picture the political situation and state of the mind of various political groups in Azerbaijan on the threshold of 1991-1992 in general, and the Khojalu events in particular.

The authors of this work (one of us, by the way, took part in the operation of liberation of Khojalu in person) tried to escape using materials of the Armenian press (except for their own works on the given topic) and gave special attention to Azerbaijani publications in the press, the Internet, etc.

The materials on the Khojalu events by some of the Azerbiajani publications contain interesting data, which, alternatively interpreted, will allow for more objective conclusions than those drawn without a scrupulous analysis and criticism.

The study also used materials containing official information, as well data by Azerbaijani, Turkish, Russian and the Western media.

 

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