On occupation of Shusha by Armenians

On May 8, 1992, the armed forces of the Republic of Armenia occupied historical Azerbaijani city of Shusha. As a result of occupation, Shusha city and 30 villages of Shusha district were destroyed, 195 innocent civilians were killed, 165 were injured and 58 persons went missing. More than 24.000 inhabitants of Shusha were subjected to ethnic cleansing.

The occupation of Shusha was part of Armenia’s policy of occupation and ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijan. As an outcome of this policy, Armenia occupied the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan, conducted ethnic cleansing against more than one million Azerbaijanis in the seized territories.

Along with being an inalienable part of the internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan, occupied Shusha city has outstanding historical, cultural, moral meaning for the people of Azerbaijan. Occupation of Shusha city known as “Cradle of the Azerbaijani music”, “Conservatory of the Orient” inflicted heavy damage to the cultural, spiritual and moral heritage of the people of Azerbaijan.

Armenia conducts deliberate policy of destruction, plundering, desecration and embezzlement of cultural and religious heritage of Azerbaijan in the occupied territories. Only in Shusha more than 170 buildings with the status of architectural monument, 160 cultural and historical monuments, mosques, rare manuscripts were destroyed and subjected to vandalism or artificial change of their appearance. “Palace of  Panah khan complex” and library, Khan Palace and Karvansaray, Ashaghy Govharagha and Saatly Mosques, Mausoleum of Vagif, Natavan’s House and many others are among them.