On March 18, with the organisation of the International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) a group of Lithuanian journalists have paid a visit to the liberated city of Agdam.
There have been well-known journalists in the group, including a famous military journalist Richardas Lapaitis, who has been awarded the 'Order of Friendship' of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Arunas Sartanavichius and Mantas Bartasavichius.
According to Eurasia Diary, Lithuanian journalists, accompanied by IEPF President Umud Mirzayev, have visited the city centre, the street where the former Araz newspaper is located, the District Education Centre and the ruins of the District House of Culture. The mosque in the city has completely been destroyed, leaving only one wall of the house of culture and the editorial office of the old "Araz" newspaper. During the visit, they also viewed the present condition of the Fuzuli Mosque, Fuzuli Park, Mangalanata Heights, Alkhanli, Kurdmahmudlu, Ashagi Abdurrahmanli villages and the destroyed settlements.
Fizuli park. Mass cultural events of Fuzuli were held in this square.
Mangalanata is one of the most beautiful heights in Fuzuli at a height of 720 meters above sea level. Very intense battles took place around Mangalanata during both the First and Second Karabakh Wars.
The way to victory. In the background is the height of Mangalanata.
In Fuzuli, Lithuanian journalists have interviewed Mubariz Jafarov, who had been captured by Armenians in the early 1990s. Jafarov had been taken hostage in the direction of Kurdmahmudlu village and had been held as a captive in Shusha for two years. After several years, during presidency of Heydar Aliyev he has been released from captivity. Over this period, he and other captive Azerbaijanis have been taken to Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Zangilan and other regions where they have been captured and worked as slaves at the contruction sites. They have been tortured in captivity. Jafarov shared his horrible life story with Lithuanian journalists.
Mubariz Jafarov in the middle, who has been taken prisoner in the early 1990s.
The guests have got acquainted with the destroyed houses, shot graves and the destroyed Kahriz monument in Ashagi Abdurrahmanli village.
The place where the former "Araz newspaper" editorial office is located in the centre of Fuzuli district. The flag is waving above the wall in Fuzuli.
Lithuanian military journalist Richardas and the IEPF President have had a conversation at the centre of Fuzuli district.
Umud Mirzayev: “Richardas, I am greeting you in the centre of Fuzuli. You know the tragedy of the Azerbaijani people in the early 1990s. At that time, you often visited Karabakh coming from Lithuania. You have been to these places many times. Yesterday we visited Aghdam, and earlier in Tartar, Sugovushan and Talish villages. I would like you to share your impressions of what you have seen in Fuzuli and your memories of the city".
Richardas Lapaitis: “Everything is awful here. When I was in Lithuania I watched everything on the Internet taking some notes, I imagined a little differently. After what I saw in Aghdam, I thought that maybe that was the case in only one region. When I came to Fuzuli and looked around I saw everything in the same condition. Everything was destroyed, burnt, covered with bushes and every inch was mined. I was shocked when I spoke to Mubariz, a prisoner of war. They brought helpless people from Khandandi and Shusha to their hometowns and destroyed these houses with their own hands. Where was the world - the US, Europe were looking? All construction materials have been stolen by Armenian officers or just bandits if spelt correctly who have now built houses in Irevan and Karabakh. We took this as a fact. We only say the facts. We recently visited the Aghdam mosque, it was impossible to recognise it. I asked Umud Mirzayev, who is from Fuzuli... People compare it with what has happened in Chernobyl. But Chernobyl was the result of human error. There are still houses there. The people here are ten times, a hundred times worse than in Chernobyl. My heart is still aching. Head and eyes of people on the gravestone images have been targeted and shot in Ashagi Abdurrahmanli. I saw the same scene all over the Fuzuli district".
U. Mirzayev: “It was not a small city, but a big and very beautiful city. Fuzuli was one of the best cities in Azerbaijan. The city's population reached 30,000. There were schools, hospitals, libraries, etc. in Fuzuli".
R. Lapaitis: “Everything has been destroyed over the past 30 years. It is impossible to walk on the ground. Everywhere is mined, there are hundreds of thousands of mines. "
U. Mirzayev: "All areas and streets are mined".
R. Lapaitis: “Dear Umud, Europe, the Baltics and Lithuania never believed in Armenian propaganda. We knew they lied. Destroying cultural heritage ... Yet I'm not talking about the lives of thousands of people who have been killed. Not only did they target the images on the tombstones, but they also killed and ridiculed people. Speaking to a prisoner of war recently, I asked him if he felt humane. He said no, I didn't feel it. His golden teeth have been pulled out. Can we consider Armenia an acient, civilised country? This is an Armenian myth. The Nazis fought with the Soviet state in the war. Were the graves destroyed then? They have torn down the stones here like beasts. Not easy to see them without a heart ache. We need to look straight into the eyes of truth. The state of Armenia is a barbaric state".
U. Mirzayev: “This is a large area. They have been here for 30 years, but it seems that they did not need it. 7 large regions along the Nagorno-Karabakh.
R. Lapaitis: “I appeal to the Baltic and European media. If drones take to the skies, you will see that these lands have been turned into hell. It is a spiritless, inhuman act. Nothing like this has happened anywhere in the world. A sane person wold never do that".
U. Mirzayev: “I am very grateful to you. You and your team have done a great job. In fact, it needs to be shown to the whole world. This is not only necessary for Azerbaijan. Each of us wants people to see it and get to know the reality".
R. Lapaitis: “I want to emphasize that no one asked me or the film crew. When we came to Agdam after Khojaly in 1992, no one asked. People said it was just telling the truth. They wanted an objective position".
U. Mirzayev: “You have always been in this position. From the first day, your destiny took you to those places. People here need to be heard".
