1990 Baku Pogroms Aimed at Expelling the Remaining Armenian Community – MFA

YEREVAN – The 1990 massacre of Armenians in Baku was a deliberate attempt to forcibly expel the remnants of the once 250,000-strong Armenian community, the Armenian Foreign Ministry stated on the 35th anniversary of these tragic events, marked by massacres, ethnic cleansing, and mass deportations.

“Over the course of a week, organized Azerbaijani groups, operating with impunity and under the indulgence and support of the Azerbaijani authorities, as well as amid the complete inaction of Soviet authorities, committed heinous crimes against Armenians,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry highlighted that the Armenian community had been integral to the development of Baku since the mid-19th century, contributing significantly to its industrial, cultural, and educational sectors. Despite their contributions, the overwhelming majority of Armenians were forced to flee their homes. “Armenian families and individuals founded, owned, and managed large industrial enterprises, as well as cultural and educational institutions. In their forced exodus, Armenians left behind property and wealth worth billions, with no opportunity to seek compensation for their losses,” the statement added.

The Foreign Ministry also reminded that the January 1990 massacre in Baku followed earlier large-scale massacres in Azerbaijani cities such as Sumgait and Kirovabad (now Ganja).

“During the late 1980s and early 1990s, approximately 400,000 Armenians were expelled from Azerbaijan. In addition, millennia-old Armenian traces in Azerbaijani cities were systematically erased, and the rich Armenian history and heritage were deliberately falsified,” the ministry emphasized.

Paying tribute to the victims and survivors of the Baku massacres, the ministry reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to ensuring lasting peace in the South Caucasus. “We firmly believe that enduring peace is the only way to prevent such crimes against humanity from happening again,” the statement concluded.