March 31 – Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis (1918)

The Gulustan (1813) and Turkmenchay (1828) treaties marked the beginning of the division of the Azerbaijani people and the partition of its historical lands. In the following years, a process of mass resettlement of Armenians into Azerbaijani territories was carried out.

Although Armenians settled in the lands of the Iravan, Nakhchivan, and Karabakh khanates were a minority compared to the local Azerbaijani population, with the support of their patrons they managed to establish an administrative unit called the “Armenian Province.” This artificial territorial division created the groundwork for the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from their lands and for the implementation of genocidal policies against the Azerbaijani people. The falsification of Armenian history and the distortion of Azerbaijani and Caucasian history became an essential part of this activity in pursuit of the idea of creating a “Greater Armenia.”

Driven by this dream, Armenian aggressors carried out mass massacres against Azerbaijanis in 1905–1907. Beginning in Baku, the massacres spread across Azerbaijan and to Azerbaijani villages in what is today Armenia. Hundreds of settlements were destroyed, and thousands of Azerbaijanis were brutally killed.

Exploiting World War I and the February and October revolutions in Russia, Armenians once again sought to realize their sinister plans — this time under the Bolshevik flag. From March 1918, the Baku Commune began executing a plan to cleanse the Baku province of Azerbaijanis under the slogan of fighting counter-revolutionaries.

During those tragic days, tens of thousands of civilians in Baku, as well as in the towns and districts of Shamakhi, Quba, and others, were massacred simply because of their ethnic and religious identity. Entire settlements were destroyed, cultural monuments, mosques, and cemeteries were razed to the ground. In subsequent years, Armenian nationalists intensified their actions, continuing mass killings, looting, and ethnic cleansing in Karabakh, Zangazur, Nakhchivan, Shirvan, Iravan, and other regions.

By decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev on March 26, 1998, March 31 was declared the “Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis.” Each year, this date is observed as a day of remembrance for the victims of mass atrocities committed against the Azerbaijani people.

March 31 – Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis Commemorated in Barcelona
March 31, 2018 – Casa Azerbaiyán in Barcelona held a commemoration event dedicated to the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis.

At the event, the memory of innocent Azerbaijanis killed during the March 1918 massacres was honored. Participants were informed about the history of these tragic events committed against the Azerbaijani people, and the importance of raising international awareness of this genocide was emphasized.

Members of the Azerbaijani community, students, and representatives of friendly nations living in Barcelona took part in the commemoration ceremony.