Mass fight in Moscow: Banner of Nagorno Karabakh served as signal for Azeris to attack

PanARMENIAN.Net - "On May 1 an event titled "Planet South West" was being held in the People Friendship University (PFUR) of Russia. The goal of the event was to strengthen friendship between nations. Pavilions of different countries and nations were presented during the event. However pavilions of Azerbaijan and Armenia were near each other. According to eyewitnesses (Azeris, Armenians and Russian) representatives of Azeri youth took aside a young Armenian who was holding the banner of Nagorno Karabakh. Azeris attacked the Armenian fellow, causing him physical injuries. They tried to take away the banner but couldn't, after which Azeris tore it up," says the "Statement of youth organizations and resources in connection with the mass fight that took place in Moscow May 1, 2007". The PanARMENIAN.Net received the statement. It says "Armenians nearby hurried to help their compatriot in the result of which a mass fight took place. Azeris who participated in the scuffle by shouting "Allah Akbar" tried to win over their side other Muslim students. However representatives of other Muslim nations who gathered near the fight place did not interfere in it. Only some of them stood up for Armenians. The fight was stopped by police. In the result of this provocation several students suffered injuries.



Eyewitnesses underline that during the event in PFUR there were exhibitions with state symbolism of such unrecognized countries as Abkhazia, South Ossetia and countries of former Yugoslavia, but no similar incidents were registered.



In connection with the above mentioned events we, representatives of undersigned organizations and resources state the following:



1. Organizers of the event themselves and not representatives of this or that nationality decide what stands and symbolism must be presented in the event. Since organizers considered it necessary to present exhibitions of all nations and countries (irrespective of their status), as well as presence of symbolism of different countries, any effort to change this decision is a violation of legality, order, as well as rough violation of human rights for freedom of opinion and right to freely express that opinion.



If Azeri students did not agree with the decision of organizers to allow Armenians to perform the banner of Nagorno Karabakh, they could find a more civilized way of self-expression, say, they could refuse from participating in the event. Otherwise actions of representatives of Azeri youth is a provocation and criminal act.



2. This is already the third extremist provocation during the past two years committed by some of representatives of Azeri youth. Earlier Azeris organized similar provocations during the Tourism exhibition in Gostinni Dvor (May 13, 2006), as well as during a concert titled "Voice of Artsakh", which was held in the Moscow International Music Hall (December 4, 2006). Analyzing these provocations, which already have become a tradition for Azeri youth, a common hand - a method of organizing provocations is being noticed: the same gathering of Azeris, anti-Armenian acts, scuffles that are followed by accusations towards Armenians. Common traces of carrying out similar provocations and its rapid "informational support" by spreading lies in mass media prove that actually a planned political provocation with a political target is hidden behind this hooliganism. And that's why it is not excluded that certain interested Azeri structures are the real organizers of the above mentioned provocations.



3. After the above mentioned events a number of mass media means hurried to declare that the cause of the scuffle was dissatisfaction of both sides, although eyewitnesses (both Azeris and Armenians and representatives of other nations) saw that exactly representatives of Azeri youth started the fight, trying to beat the Armenian boy and outrage the Armenian symbolism. As a result some media means are trying to depict a "politically correct" version of events and by doing that they hide the real organizers of the incident. We are sure that such a bias improbable coverage of events in the spirit of the notorious "Lenin policy of people's friendship" is unproductive. Principles of journalism ethics demand true coverage of events without equalizing the criminal and the victim, without concealing the truth on the principle "both our and your people". Lies never do good.



4. We are worried not only with traditional provocations by extremist groups of Azeri youth, but also the firm unwillingness of law enforcement bodies not to punish them. Naturally, it is easier to write everything off on hooligan fights. However with such a treatment to incidents they will continue henceforth, and the number of victims most likely will increase. In a jural state as we think Russia is, it is very important to find the real organizers of fights and punish them with the full severity of the law.



5. We call on all youth organizations, irrespective of their nationality, to actively cooperate with the law-enforcement and investigation bodies of Moscow aiming at clearing up all details of this incident and punishing those who are guilty. We also call on law-enforcement bodies of Moscow to carry out an impartial investigation of the above mentioned incident and punish the organizers of the mass fight. We call on the press to cover the events objectively and spread not politically correct lies but the truth. And finally we call on young people, irrespective of their nationality to refrain from extremism and provocations, respect other people's viewpoint, which may differ from their own point of view, and via tolerance to reach a real, and not a declared friendship and peace between nations.