PACE may prepare report on Armenian cemetery demolition in Baku

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Armenian delegation to PACE made a proposal to organize a report on destruction of the Narimanov cemetery in Azerbaijan, head of the Armenian delegation to PACE, Davit Harutyunyan told reporters October 8.



"Barbarian demolition of the Narimanov cemetery is a vivid example of encroachment of fundamental rights the Jewish, Russian and Georgian communities. Deputies from Serbia, UK, Czechia, Finland, Portugal and Russia have already signed under the initiative. This will allow to make it a topic of discussion," he said adding the decision on preparation of the will be taken later, IA Regnum reports.



As reported earlier, under the pretext of building a highway Baku demolishes the Christian cemetery (the Narimanov cemetery), where Armenians, Jews and Russians were buried.



Although local authorities assure of reinterment, photos in Internet show a complete dump. The photographers say the bulldozers just razed the graves to the ground depriving the relatives of the possibility to rebury the remains. Moreover, the cemetery managers demand $300 for reburial.



The city administration says exhumation and reinterment is performed in accord with ethnic and religious traditions in the presence of relatives of the deceased. Meanwhile, the Jewish News Agency reported that "observance of Jewish traditions is restricted to the fact that grave-diggers throw the ashes into mat-bags and then give them to the relatives."