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US Azerbaijani Diaspora sends letters to Congress members and US media about the occupation of Lachin District

04 May 2011 14:23 (UTC +04:00)

â€œOn 18 May 1992, the Armenian units occupied and ethnically cleansed the city of Lachin and 121 surrounding villages subsequently destroying hundreds of cultural facilities and historical monuments. Over 63,341 Azerbaijani citizens were driven out their home lands as a result of the occupation. As per official statistics, 267 residents and defenders of Lachin were killed during the occupationâ€, say the letters.

According to the Diaspora, occupation of Lachin set forth a continuation of Armenian aggression on Azerbaijan leading to occupation of Kelbajar, Agdam, Zangelan, Gubadly, Fizuli and Jabrayil districts, resulting in displacement of nearly one million Azerbaijani refugees from their homes.

â€œFollowing the cease-fire agreement of May 1994, Armenians started illegal mass resettlement program relocating Armenians from Armenia and abroad to Lachin district and unauthorized exploitation of natural resources of Azerbaijan. According to the OSCE, as of April 2011, Armenians have illegally resettled 14,000 persons of Armenian origin to occupied Lachin district against all accepted international laws and normsâ€.

â€œOn behalf of Azerbaijani-Americans and Azerbaijanis worldwide, we implore you to do whatever is necessary to move this situation along to its rightful resolution within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, to enforce UN Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884 of 1993, the UN GA resolutions, to stop Armenian occupation and exploitation of Azerbaijani natural resources, to allow the return of Azerbaijani displaced persons back to their homes, to remove the blockade of Nakhichevan, the Azerbaijani exclave region, to return all POWs and MIA, and to make a Congressional Record or other statement for the record, condemning the occupation of Lachinâ€, demand the authors.