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AZERBAIJAN DAILY DIGEST
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From: Ina Iankulova (iiankulova@sorosny.org)
Date: Mon Feb 24 2003 - 11:06:39 EST
AZERBAIJAN'S RULING PARTY COMMEMORATES KHODJALY KILLINGS
Thousands of people attended a demonstration in Baku on 21 February convened by the ruling Yeni Azerbaycan Party (YAP) to commemorate the February 1992 killings by Armenian and Russian troops of over 600 residents of the Karabakh village of Khodjaly, according to Interfax on 21 February and zerkalo.az on 22 February. Speakers at the demonstration unanimously criticized former Azerbaijani President Ayaz Mutalibov, claiming that the Khodjaly killings were the result of his "shortsighted" Karabakh policy. They also blamed Mutalibov, who has stated his intention to return to Baku from his Moscow exile to contest this fall's presidential election, for making possible the advent to power in May 1992 of the Azerbaijan Popular Front. Asked why YAP did not join forces with the opposition to hold a single demonstration to commemorate the Khodjaly massacre, YAP Deputy Executive Secretary Siyavush Novruzov said those opposition leaders who planned a separate demonstration on 22 February were themselves implicated in the
Khodjaly tragedy. He did not elaborate. Armenian officials claim they warned Azerbaijani leaders of the impending attack on Khodjaly to enable them to evacuate the civilian population. LF
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