Azerbaijan

Mass rallies in Yerevan launched at the same time when an Armenian separatism in Nagorno-Karabakh went on active phase in February 1988. The participants of the rally shouted «Armenia should be cleaned of Turks ", "Armenia for the Armenians!"  slogans. On the third day of rallies in Yerevan, the only surviving building of the mosque, secondary school, equipment of the Yerevan Dramatic Theatre named after J. Jababrly were burnt. In Yerevan the homes of Azerbaijanis protested against were set on fire. The mass deportation of Azerbaijanis from Armenia began. The mass deportation of Azerbaijanis was associated with massacres, brutal violence. Forced deportation of Azerbaijanis from Armenia, burning their homes, but also by beginning of attacks of Armenians against Azerbaijanis in Nagorno-Karabakh caused anger in   Azerbaijan.

So at when the Armenians had planned massacre of Armenians in Sumgayit in order to make the world community against Azerbaijan, to divert attention from thousand deported Azerbaijani from Armenia and to implement the plan of cessation of Nagorno-Garabagh from Azerbaijan. 

On February 28, 1988, and 29 there were mass unrest in the city. As a result of this unrest 32 people, including 26 Armenians, 5 Azerbaijanis, and 1 Lezgin were killed.

For many years, the separatist Armenian side always refers to the events in Sumgait to justify its aggressive policy, the Khojaly genocide and other crimes committed in the territory of Azerbaijan. Armenia occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory and carried out a policy of ethnic cleansing presents Sumgait events as in the purposeful act "organized by Azerbaijan”. Yet this propaganda campaign, which was launched in 1988, aimed at making the world community to believe on the cruelty of Azerbaijanis against the Armenians, about impossibility of coexistence of Azerbaijanis and Armenians within one state Armenia continues its propaganda based on false facts on Sumgait events during 23 years, and ignores the irrefutable facts about guiltiness of the Armenians as being organizers of this event.

In fact, at the time it was proved during the investigation carried out by thee USSR State Security Committee and the Prosecutor's Office that the organizers of that event were Armenians. The main organizer of the Sumgayit events during investigation was proved to be Eduard Robertovic Grigoryan, born in 1959 by irrefutable evidence. The investigation found that from 26 Armenians killed in these incidents,  E.Grigorian killed 6 people personally. Also during the investigation it was revealed that among organizers of the event were brothers of  E.Grigorian, as well as other Armenians like  Ohanian, Samoylov and Pavlovsky. 444 people were interogated in court, 400 of them were kept in places of detention for 10-15 days, 94 people were sentenced to different terms, one person, Ahmed Ahmedov for death penalty. Although the investigation charged A.Ahmedov as the main organizer of the disorders but there was no consistent evidence to prove it.

From investigative materials it was already known that Grigorian Eduard Robertovich, born in 1959, convicted earlier thrice and spent 9 years 2 months and 13 days in prison was the main person inciting the crowd and directing the youth and criminal elements to attack homes of Armenians refusing to pay money to separatist "Karabakh" Committee and the "Krunk" Community. Grigorian actively participated in looting and other crimes and personally killed himself 6 Armenians. E.Grigorian wasaccidentally detained as a witness in connection with the events in Sumgait. However, during the investigation the victims of those event Armenian girls - Marina and Karina Mejlumian sisters, their mother Rosa Mejlumyan recognized him. In fact, it is known that Grigorian was an active participant and organizer of events. As a result of the investigation had to choose arresting him.

Although it was proved by investigation that Grigorian personally killed 6 Armenians, he only was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment due to influence of forces behind these events on court of the Soviet Union and was sent Armenia for serving his sentence and was released a few years later. Subsequently, the law enforcement authorities of Azerbaijan established unequivocally in the investigation that Grigorian’s two other brothers took an active part in these events. According to testimony of numerous witnesses at the investigation, prior to the events in Sumgait, Eduard Grigorian and his brothers contacted Armenian emissaries in Nagorno-Karabakh, and have identified the home addresses of Armenians being originally from Karabagh but refusing to pay money to their funds, refusing the  Armenians separatism. With his team on February 27 he went to Sumgayit at the square where rallies of protests were held against brutalities against Azerbaijanis and he introduced self “Azerbaijani from Kafan” E.Grigorian told about mass killing of Azerbaijanis by Armenians in Kafan and instigated the crowd to take revenge from Armenians living in Sumgayit. Then he said that, "I have a list of Armenians, I know where we need to go," and began to make robberies at Armenians’ homes with group about 100 people. 

From the victim, Sumgayit resident: L.Meklumian’s statement to group of investigation on the events in Sumgait: " Grigorian entered my home, made a blow with the legs of broken chair on the head of my ill mother, and this time I tried to resist a few times, but I had no enough force as being women, he put me on floor and began to rape. " From testimony of a person named Najafov who participated in the events: "The gang organized by Grigorian, entered in flat No 512 of Armenian woman named Emma, immediately undressed her and Edik Grigorian offered to take her to street in such conditions and then Emma was killed with his participation." In other investigative file it was said: "E. Grogorian entered the apartment of M.Petrosian at the first micro-district and made a blow on head of the apartment owner and she fell down unconsciously”  

The press wrote a lot about the facts when hundreds Azerbaijani families during Sumgait tragedy put themselves at risk while rescued their Armenian neighbors from threat of angry crowd. By the way, many Armenians who left Sumgayit also gave their testimonies on facts how Azerbaijanis protected them while being interrogated by the Armenian Prosecutor's Office. Armenian Prosecutor's Office keeps these episodes in investigating materials. 

As a result of investigations carried out an investigation of the events in Sumgait it was proved that the Soviet special services participated in it. The doubts and the data about it were revealed even during investigation of 1989-1990. Thus, in the materials of the criminal case started then the facts that Armenian Eduard Grigorian who headed the group of persons committed mass marauder  action in Sumgayit,  met with suspicious persons on the eve of Sumgayit events, the person that actively participated in killings, raping of Armenians and damaging their property an that he distributed spirited drinks and psychotropic drugs to members of own group  but these information were not investigated by investigation group of USSR Prosecutor Office, in contrary the materials and details that might help in finding of organizers of the violence  were hidden.  Also no investigation was carried out about Armenians detained in Sumgait during violence, they were immediately released as suffering party and many others were kept out of investigation.

In 2011, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev gave instructions to renew o the investigation of the criminal case related to the events in Sumgait. The investigation team is headed by the Deputy Prosecutor General. After this renewal numerous witnesses of Sumgait events, the investigator of former USSR Prosecutor's Office were questioned. Investigations confirmed that these events were organized and ordered by pro-Armenian circles represented in the leadership of the Soviet Union, Armenian nationalists and separatists.