MARCH 1918 MASSACRE IN AZERBAIJAN

World Azerbaijanis commemorate the 106th anniversary of the tragic events that went down in history as the ‘March Massacre in Baku’.

On March 31, 1918, one of the most brutal massacres in history committed against Azerbaijanis in Baku, Guba, Shamakhi, Aghdash, Goychay, Karabakh, Zangezur, Nakhchivan and other regions of Azerbaijan. From March 30 to April 1, over 10,000. people lost their lives, more than 8,000 were wounded, and more than 10,000 were left homeless.

A mass grave filled with victims from Guba was unearthed in 2007. Research conducted by the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography at the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences revealed that just one grave in Quba alone contained more than 400 corpses of people ranging in age, including 50 children, 100 women and elderly. Many other graves were discovered in other regions of Azerbaijan.

In 1920, New York Times editorial mentioned that at least 12,000. Azerbaijanis were massacred on March 31, 1918.

In America, On 27 March 2012, the New York State Senate adopted the first-ever legislative resolution J3784-2011 proclaiming 31 March 2012 as the Azerbaijani Remembrance Day and describing March Days as the genocide "committed by the members of Armenian Dashnak party with Bolsheviks against Azerbaijanis". The resolution was introduced by the State Senator James Alesi.

On March 31, 2015, the New Jersey State Assembly recognized and remembered the victims of this devastation. A Resolution introduced by NJ State Assemblyman Thomas Giblin and adopted by the New Jersey State Assembly and signed by Sheila Oliver who was the New Jersey's Lieutenant Governor, second highest-ranking official in the State of New Jersey.

Although there are sufficient proof and evidence about the acts of genocide committed against Azerbaijanis in 1918, there has not yet been an adequate response to these crimes against peace and humanity at the international level.

By Decree of Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, dated March 26, 1998, March 31 is commemorated as the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis.

We join our homeland Azerbaijan remembering the crimes against humanity!