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Yagub Mahmudov: â€œAll historical materials about 26 Baku commissars will be reviewedâ€

28 January 2009 15:16 (UTC +04:00)

He confirmed the information given by Baku Mayorâ€™s Office on the outcomes of the three-day research in Sahil Park.
â€œThe graveyard was inside the six concrete boxes. The width of the boxes was 7.1m, length 7.6m and sides 1.67m. The outer part was covered by thick 20cm-concrete. 23 coffins were found there. The ages of each of the 23 bodies was determined. The remainders of the bodies were buried in the coffins spread with silk and with participation of religious figures,â€ he said.

Yagub Mahmudov said he was following the discussions in media about 23 bodies found in the graveyard.
â€œI am also following the media reports. Detailed information will be given when the examination finishes and research is made in the field of history. The main result for today is that 23, not 26 bodies were found in the graveyard and it was proved that they were shot dead by two types of weapons. All of them were shot at the knee and head. There is no doubt that these bodies belong to 26 Baku commissars. 23 men were buried there, the bodies of 3 are not there. It seems that those three were not shot,â€ he said.

Mahmudov said the fact made it necessary to review all historical data about 26 Baku commissars.
â€œIt proves that most issues of our history were deliberately distorted during the Soviet period.
The Institute of History began serious researches. The forensic inquiry is doing its job and new reports will be delivered to the press. The current reports have no scientific basis. Many of them distract attention of the people from this event and this fact. Some people intend to approve the reports coming from abroad. As a director of the Institute of History, I spent three days to these researches and I confirm that only 23 bodies were buried thereâ€.

Concerning the identities of the people, whose bodies were not found, Yagub Mahmudov said this issue was researched by the historians and experts now. â€œThe remains and photos will be analyzed and the historic researches and expertise will give its results. We can confirm now only that 23 bodies were found and they were shot dead 26 Baku Commissars. Other reports have no scientific basis. Baku City Executive Power addresses this issue and it will periodically announce the results. The Institute of History will also periodically give information to the press. Finding of 23 bodies there showed that the history was falsifiedâ€.

Mahmudov said the Institute of History raised issue before the Academyâ€™s Presidium to make researches more serious. â€œWe have to send missions to the cities of former USSR and foreign countries as well. The archive materials have to be compared with the inquiry resultsâ€.