Guba, April-May 1918. Documented Pogroms of the Muslims
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Mirzajanyan’s grandson, Arutyun, the mill owner, Vartan Avakov, Aru-
tyun son of Baba, Alexander Mukasyantz, Tatevos son of Yagub, Baba-
jan with his son, and Arutyun son of Karapet with his two sons and a
nephew, who, driven by confessional and tribal hostility towards the
Muslim population, conspiring among themselves and other persons
so far not identified by the investigation, created a several thousand-
strong gang armed by firearms and cold weapons which, pursuing
the goal of exterminating the Muslim population, plundering and
misappropriating its assets, attacked the town of Guba, Baku Pro-
vince, on April Eve 1918, devastated the said town, slaughtered about
two thousand men, women and children, despoiled personal assets
of the townsfolk, set fire of a number of buildings and left almost 105
households ablaze en route to Guba.
The same gang attacked the Muslim villages, looted 122 resi-
dential areas in Guba Uyezd only, plundered the residents’ assets and
murdered a number of residents of these villages showing no mercy
to neither women, nor children.
Taking into consideration summary of the facts mentioned
above and guided by Section 396 of the Criminal Court Charter and
the decrees by the Government of Azerbaijan dd. March 21, 1919 and
proposals No.3066 passed by the Minister of Justice on June 25, the
same year.
HEREBY DECREES:
To institute criminal proceedings against Amazasp, his aide
Nicolay, the Guba Commissar Veluntz, together with Guba residents
Arytyun Ayrapetov, barber Javad Arutyunov, Avakov, another Avakov,
the son of a fish farmer, students Amirjanovs, nephews of merchant
Mirza Amirjanov, another active participant of the events, a dukan
(tavern) owner Melikov, Vartan, son of Grigory, a household owner
in Guba, Arutyun, Mirzajanyan’s grandson, Arutyun, the mill owner,
Vartan Avakov, Arutyun son of Baba, Alexander Mukasyantz, Tatevos
son of Yagub, Babajan with his son, and Arutyun son of Karapet with
his two sons and a nephew pursuant to Articles No.No. 13, 129, 922,
927, 1630, 1633, 1634, 1453 and 1507 of the Penal Code.
Signed by:
A.Khasmammadov, the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Investigation