About 31 years have passed since the massacre in the Azerbaijani village of Bashlibel, committed in April 1993 during the occupation of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar region by Armenia.
During that period, some 62 residents of the village, who failed to leave their homes in time, took refuge from the enemy in mountain caves near the village. They stayed there for 18 days. On April 18, the Armenians discovered the location of the villagers.
As a result,18 villagers were killed, and 14 were taken, hostage. At the same time, 30 people who managed to escape, were hiding from the enemy for 113 days in other caves. They left their shelters and were able to get out of the Armenian encirclement on July 17, moving along mountain trails at night time.
Information about the tragedy in Bashlibel is also reflected in the annual report of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor for 2021 which was created in 1977 to help advance individual liberty and democratic freedoms around the world.
After the liberation of the Kalbajar district from occupation, the Azerbaijani side discovered a burial place near the caves of those who were brutally killed by the Armenian armed forces.
Moreover, the testimony of the surviving witnesses confirms that during the massacre in the village, some of the villagers were taken hostage, and they are still considered missing.
In addition, the historical, cultural, and religious sites of Bashlibel, one of the oldest and largest villages of Kalbajar, were destroyed during the occupation.
Statement by Ombudsman of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani Commissioner for Human Rights Sabina Aliyeva has said that Azerbaijani civilians were burned alive during massacres in Bashlibel village of the Kalbajar district.
“Throughout history, thousands of innocent Azerbaijanis who became victims of the genocide were brutally murdered as a result of Armenia’s genocide and occupation policy towards Azerbaijan,” the ombudsperson said.
