Armenians must be given right to visit graves of their relatives in Azerbaijan

PanARMENIAN.Net - ''Mutual visits can't even be discussed, as until now, any ethnic Armenian who arrived in Baku was sent back right out of airport, regardless the person's citizenship,'' South Caucasian region expert, Arsen Melik-Shahnazarov told a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter in Stepanakert.



He reminded that European symphonic orchestra musician and a young Bulgarian chess-player were announced as personae non gratae in Baku. Among them, even a scientist from Yaroslavl, born in Baku, Alexander Aghamov who was a Head of Russian Oncologists' Delegation bound for Baku. ''All these people were refused from visiting Baku, as their origin was doubted in Azeri capital. Still, they had no indications as to their nationality in their passports, which means Azeri special services were detecting their origin beforehand, based on indirect indications,'' the expert noted.



Considering highly intolerant attitude of Azerbaijan, Melik-Shahnazarov is bewildered, ''Why then, people like Bulbuloglu, a representative of intellectual elite at Azeragitprop, the one who's repeatedly discredited himself as a peacemaker, should walk over Artsakh soil, imbued with the Armenian blood? What's the sense behind shamanistic rituals of racism and hatred promoters in long suffering Shushi? A city, where Armenian population was first exterminated and banished, and then fully estranged from its native country by chicanery of "intellectuals" to which Bulbuloglu's forefathers and companions belonged?," Arsen Melik-Shahnazarov questioned.



"The current visit was more propagandistic and provided Azerbaijan with an opportunity to trumpet the meeting of Azeris with the 'Armenian community of Karabakh'. Although it sounds as senseless as 'Azeri community of Azerbaijani Republic', a tiny move has been made. So, participation of 'Azeri community of NK' in International Alert meeting has been already discussed," he said.



Melik-Shahnazarov welcomed Karabakh NGOs' decision to refuse participation in "untalented shows financed by British Petroleum" and voiced hope that Armenian NGOs will do the same.



As to the possibility for Azeri citizens to attend cemeteries in Nagorno Karabakh, it could be real on two conditions, according to him. "First, Armenians should be allowed to attend cemeteries in Shahumyan, Getashen and Northern Artsakh. Second, Azeri citizens should have their passports stamped upon arrival in Nagorno Karabakh," Melik-Shahnazarov said.