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Bodies found in Guba prove Armenian massacre in 1918, expedition chief says

27 July 2007 11:02 (UTC +04:00)

Head of Guba expedition of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan Gahraman Agayev said that both historical facts and skulls found in the graves prove this fact:â€There is Stepyan Shaumyanâ€™s letter to Amazasp in archive materials. The letter says that â€œyour visit to Azerbaijan aims at establishing Bolshevism. But it is the second issue. Your main purpose is killing Turks living there-it is your national dutyâ€ .Shaumyan sent the same letter to Lalayan committed massacres in the southern regions of Azerbaijan. Amazasp sends letter to Stepan Shaumyan saying that the mission of committing massacre in Guba region is carried out. Shaumyan texts Amazasp back announcing him â€œNational Heroâ€, said Mr.Agayev.
The investigations show that Guba massacres lasted from May 3 to 10:â€The skulls found in the graves in Guba prove that the massacre was committed 90 years ago. The bodies were taken to this grave while people were killed in other area. Armenians got Azerbaijanis dug the graves themselves then put them into graves improperly. Two wells were revealed in the grave. The diameter of the first well is 5 m with depth of 4 m, while that of the second well is 2.5 m with depth of 2 m.
Agayev underlined that new skeletons were found during the investigations.
â€œDitches have been recently found in the graves. One of them was for irrigating fields. We investigated the other ditch as well. Elders confirmed that the second ditch ran to mill. We found a well inside the ditch. People used the water of the well when there was lack of water. We found new skeletons in the well. They are being analyzed,â€ he said.
The chief of the expedition said that anthropological structure of the skeletons proves that along with Azerbaijanis, Lezgins and Jews were killed in 1918.
Members of the expedition started working on July 13 and are about to end investigations. But the expedition faces financial difficulties.
Chief of the expedition said they have not yet received AZN93,000 allocated for the institute.
â€œAll investigations are being carried out at the expenditure of the funds allocated for other excavations. The expedition continues their investigations with support of Archaeology and Ethnography Institute and Guba Prosecutorâ€™s Office,â€ he said.
Agayev does not see any need to involve international experts in the expedition.
â€œOur institute has great potential. There is a good forensic medical examination department in General Prosecutorâ€™s Office. We are ready to prove objectivity of the investigation,â€ he said.
All works carried out in the graves are shot.
Chief of Guba expedition Gahraman Agayev, Tahir Shahbazov, anthropologist Dmitri Krichenko, archeologist Mikayil Mustafayev, archeologist Ahliman Abdurrahmanov, ethnographer-sociologist Anvar Kazimov and 74-year old architect Suleyman Allahverdiyev regard their work as sanctities before motherland and people.
â€œWe want to erect a monument in honor of the Azerbaijanis underwent Armenian genocide in Guba,â€ he said. /APA/