On April 10, 1992, the Armenian civilians of the village of Maragha of Nagorno-Karabakh were subjected to complete ethnic cleansing: more than 50 civilians, including 30 women, were killed by the Azerbaijani forces, while the population of 5,000 was forcibly displaced. 29 women and 9 children were taken hostage, the fate of 19 is still unknown. This is noted in a statement posted on the X account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Armenia.

“These atrocities were well documented in the reports of Human Rights Watch & Amnesty International. The patterns of behavior that led to the Maragha massacre –  ethnic hatred, impunity, glorification of war crimes, the destruction of Armenian cultural sites & forced displacement – were earlier witnessed during the 1988-1990 pogroms of Armenians in Sumgait, Kirovabad & Baku, & elsewhere.

Today, as we pay tribute to the victims of pogroms in Maragha, we recall that prevention of such atrocities & achieving lasting peace requires abandoning hate speech & promoting respect for fundamental human rights,” added the Armenian MFA.