May 11, 2013 – 19:11 AMT

Series of events where held in Greece, Brussels, Washington and Bulgaria dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Artsakh Movement and memory of Sumgait massacre victims.

By the initiative of Armenian Embassy in Greece and the Armenian communities of Greece on February 27 in Nea Zmirni district of Athens at the memorial of Armenian Genocide “Zangak” (Tinkler) an event was held dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Artsakh Movement and in memory of victims of Sumgait massacres.

RA Ambassador to Greece Gagik Ghalchayan and Chairman of Hay Dat commission in Greece Davit Petrosyan made speeches in front of the attendees.

Another action was held on Wednesday in Brussels in front of the embassy of Azerbaijan connected with the 25th anniversary of Sumgait pogroms. Protest action was organized by the Armenian Student’s association in Belgium and committee of “Hay Dat” of Belgium.

In “Yerevan Park” of Sofia at the Armenian cross stone ceremony of laying wreath in memory of the innocent victims of Sumgait was held.

Armenians of Washington too held a protest on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the Sumgait massacre, chanting “We always remember Sumgait,” and “Justice for Gurgen Markarian». The action organized by the Armenian Youth Organization of Washington “Ani” and the Armenian Church Youth Organization of America (ACYOA), was held at the Azerbaijani embassy in the U.S.

On 26-29 February 1988 in terms of actual complicity of local authorities and inaction of the USSR government mass pogroms of civilians were organized in Sumgait city of Azerbaijani SSR, accompanied with unprecedented brutal murders, violence and pillaging against the Armenian population of the city. Armenian pogroms in Sumgait were carefully organized. At the meetings, which began on February 26 in the central square, city leaders openly called for violence against the Armenians.

On February 27 protests which were attended by hundreds of rioters turned into violence. Armed with axes, knives, specially sharpened rebar, rocks and cans of gasoline and with the pre-compiled lists of apartments where Armenians lived the rioters broke into the houses, turning everything upside down there and killing the owners. In the same time, people were often taken out to the streets or to the courtyard for jeering at them publicly. After painful humiliations and torture the victims were doused with gasoline and burnt alive.

On February 29 army troops entered Sumgait but without an order to intervene. Only in the evening, when the mad crowd began to attack the soldiers the military units took up decisive steps.

The exact number of victims of Sumgait pogroms is still unknown. According to official data, 32 people were killed; however there is ample evidence that several hundred Armenians have been killed in the city in three days. There is also evidence that the riots were coordinated by KGB in Azerbaijan. Executioners of Sumgait were subsequently declared as national heroes of Azerbaijan.