The MFA of Artsakh made a statement on the 35th anniversary of the Sumgait pogroms.

"Today marks the 35th anniversary of the Sumgait pogroms, one of the most tragic and monstrous pages in the recent history of the Armenian people. On February 27-29, 1988, in the city of Sumgait, which is only 40 kilometers away from Baku, with criminal tolerance and even the instruction of the Azerbaijani authorities, massive massacres of the Armenian population of the city took place, accompanied by murders, tortures, and other atrocities. The groups of thugs, armed with pointed metal rods, axes, hammers, and other improvised means, in complete indifference to the city's law enforcement agencies, invaded Armenians' apartments and retaliated against innocent people with incredible brutality. During several days of violence, dozens of Armenians were killed, hundreds were brutally beaten and tortured, and thousands were forcibly displaced. The hatred towards Armenians was fueled by anti-Armenian slogans and calls for violence during the rallies. The purpose of these criminal actions organized by the Azerbaijani authorities was to create an atmosphere of fear and thereby suppress the peaceful demands of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Sumgait massacre became the first large-scale manifestation of the discriminatory and genocidal policy implemented by Azerbaijan against the Armenian people for decades. This was followed by the slaughter of Armenians in other cities of Azerbaijan: Baku, Kirovabad, Shamakhi, Shamkhor, Mingechaur, and elsewhere, as well as the three wars unleashed against Artsakh, which were accompanied by targeted attacks on the civilian population, the use of prohibited and indiscriminate weapons, and other war crimes.

The Sumgait pogroms became the basis for the revival of intolerance and hatred towards Armenians in Azerbaijan. Armenian hatred was raised to the level of state policy. The instigators and perpetrators of that monstrous crime became an object of imitation, and the crimes against Armenians became commonplace. Two years later, in January 1990, massacres of Armenians in Baku were already being carried out under the slogan "Glory to the heroes of Sumgait!" Unfortunately, neither Azerbaijan was held accountable for the massacres in Sumgait nor for the other genocidal acts that followed, due to which an atmosphere of political permissiveness and impunity was formed for the authorities of that authoritarian state.

The combination of impunity and the feeling of permissiveness, intolerance, and hatred towards Armenians, as well as the desire to suppress the right to self-determination of the people of Artsakh at any cost, led to the rooting of genocidal intentions towards the people of Artsakh in the political consciousness and state policy of Azerbaijan. One of the apparent manifestations of those criminal intentions is the siege of Artsakh that has been going on for more than two months, based on the desire of the Azerbaijani authorities to force the people of Artsakh to give up their collective rights, to deprive them of their homeland and ultimately to destroy it.

Even after 35 years, Azerbaijan's policy of oppression, intimidation, gross violation of human rights, use of force or threat of force, expulsion, and ethnic cleansing against the people of Artsakh has not changed. However, despite all the difficulties and challenges facing the Republic, the people of Artsakh remain strong and determined to defend their rights in the historical homeland and continue the struggle for freedom, independence, democracy, and human rights.

We bow to the memory of all the innocent victims of Azerbaijan's aggressive and misanthropic policy and once again call on the international community to take active and practical steps to break the vicious cycle of Azerbaijan's illegal actions, prevent new crimes against humanity and bring the perpetrators to justice."