Ramiz Yunus: The Truth Hidden for 30 Years

Ramiz Yunus, Professor of Political Science, USA. The Khojaly genocide—a punitive operation by Russian troops on 25-26 February 1992—is one of the most horrific crimes against the civilian Azerbaijani population. It follows the same pattern as the military coup in Georgia on 22 December 1991, a military operation by the Transcaucasian Military District, subordinate to Boris Yeltsin. Yeltsin sponsored the invasion of Georgia, the Mkhedrioni of Jaba Yoselini, and Boris Yeltsin also financed the military invasion of Azerbaijan. Back then, in 1992, there were “our boys,” innocent Russian boys simply strolling through Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Moldova, defended by Russian human rights activists on “democratic channels.” Meanwhile, the civilian Azerbaijani population was stigmatised according to the usual Russian pattern: “Chechen terrorists,” “Georgian Nazi Zviadists,” “Moldovan nationalists.” The direct perpetrators of the war crime in Khojaly were Armenian terrorist formations in Karabakh and the 366th motorised rifle regiment of the Russian army stationed in the city of Khankendi.