An exclusive interview of Aysor.am from Caroline Cox

The 69th visit of Baroness Caroline Cox, the Deputy Speaker of the British House of Lords, to Armenia was dedicated to the launch of one more charity program in the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh. The program is being implemented by the “Hart” organization founded by the Baroness and the British “Lilis Consulting” company. There will be a TV-marathon in the frameworks of the program, during which in almost all countries of the world will be shown the Armenian culture, songs and dances. The gathered money will be used for the construction of the schools and hospitals of the NKR.

It was 1991 when Ms Cox visited Nagorno Karabakh for the first time and during the whole war till 1994 the Baroness stayed in the center of the war activities. The big friend of the Armenian’s, Baroness Cox has been with the Armenians during the hardest times, she has a big contribution also in the reestablishment of the NKR in the post war period.

Here is the exclusive interview of Baroness Caroline Cox, the Deputy Speaker of the British House of Lords for the Aysor.am.

Remembering the Karabakh war Ms Cox tells. “It was a very cruel and hard war, as a few thousands of Armenians were standing against the Azerbaijani soldiers who were ten times more by their number than the Armenians. The Azerbaijani were also well armed.” According the Baroness it was heroism for the people of Artsakh to fight in such conditions and to rebuilt and prosper the country. “The Armenian won because they were fighting for their fatherland where they lived for centuries.”

“The Azerbaijani have committed a crime in Maragha against the human race”, - said Caroline Cox in the interview given to Aysor.am.

On April 10, 1992 the village Maragha in the Martakert region was completely ruined by the regular army of Azerbaijan. “I will never forget that awful day when the Azerbaijani attacked Maragha” - the Baroness tells, - “The Azeri attacked the village. They started with shootings, and then used the tans. The inhabitants of Maragha were completely unprotected. They had almost nothing to stand against the enemy. I saw a young boy who was trying to stop the Azeri tanks by a hunting gun. One of the cruelest scenes of Maragha was the beheaded bodies of people.”

The description of the barbarities realized by the Azerbaijani in Maragha was too tough for the Baroness; her eyes became wet for a second but she continued, “I saw, I saw how the Azeri behead the people, I have seen the burnt bodies, they had burnt them alive I guess. They were destroying and burning the houses of the Armenians. But Before burning they were robbing the houses bringing out everything that didn’t belong to them”. “In 1992 the Azeri have committed a crime against the whole humanity”, - underlined Ms Cox.

“Azerbaijan used its citizens as a shield in Khojalu”

To the question of Aysor.am whether the international community is informed enough about the Karabakh conflict to resist the disinformation spread by Azerbaijan Ms Cox answered: “I think at present Azerbaijan is spending a lot of money for the circulation of the “Khojalu events” phrase. But I know also that Armenia had informed the Azerbaijan about the attack and had given a chance to the people of Azerbaijan to leave the place. Even they, the Azeri, say that they have been informed about the attack.

I can say that the Armenians did everything for escaping the innocent victims. Such victims are always a tragedy, and no one argues this. But Azerbaijan preferred to use its citizens as a living shield, after which it started to use the corps of its citizens for making a propaganda show. Khojalu is not the thing that the Azeri present. They had the opportunity to avoid what happened. The Armenians do not have the need for propaganda as the truth is on their side. Only thing left to do is to tell the truth aloud by the Armenian embassies and representation in different countries. I guess Azerbaijan will not be able to take a victory in such kind of informational war.” “The international community should realize and know that the Armenians are not an aggressor, but a victim”, - stressed the Baroness.

“Karabakh is on the way of becoming a democratic state”

This is the opinion of the Baroness Cox about the NKR.

”I have been present in NKR presidential elections, and not only me, there have been present a number of representatives of different international organizations and all of them assured that the elections have been held according all the norms of democracy. Nagorno Karabakh is on its way of becoming a democratic state where the human rights are respected and the civic society is being developed. I hope that the international community based on the self determination right of the nations will give Artsakh people a chance to lead its own fortune and to decide the way of its own future”, - Baroness Cox concluded.