Astvatsaturian Turcotte on the Baku Pogroms: "They knew our addresses" скачать в хорошем качестве

Astvatsaturian Turcotte on the Baku Pogroms: "They knew our addresses"

Lawyer, lecturer, and author of "Nowhere, a Story of Exile", Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte shared her family's story of endurance and survival of anti-Armenian attacks in Baku at the ANCA's Capitol Hill briefing on Nagorno Karabakh freedom. Turcotte described a "happy and sunny childhood" until 1988, when, the "facades of tolerance began to fade." "Life as we knew it for myself, my family and hundreds of our friends ceased to exist as the violent gangs organized by the Azerbaijani government stormed our streets and attacked us for simply being Armenian," explained Turcotte, who was just 11-years-old at the time. "They knew our addresses." Turcotte went on to explain that families like hers "spent months hiding in the dark, with curtains closed tightly or equally terrified surrounded by Russian tanks who were there to assert the Soviet dominance, not to protect us." The effects of that ordeal, their escape and the struggle for survival affect her to this day, explained Turcotte. "This fear is still engrained in me at 36 years old and I detest it. I fight against it by speaking it out loud, just as I am doing right now." Turcotte praised the Nagorno Karabakh Republic for its commitment to democracy and development, despite ongoing Azerbaijani attacks. "Nagorno-Karabakh is flourishing with its limited resources, with all its security concerns, road by road, building by building, family by family." She continued, sharing this poignant message of hope addressed to the Artsakh people. "Baku Armenian communities around the world and especially in the United States, stand with you, Nagorno Karabakh. May your children never have to be subjected to the Azerbaijani government again. May you never hide in the dark like we did fearing for our lives in Baku. May you proudly display your Armenian names and culture within the borders of your democratic country, just like I proudly do in my adoptive country, United States of America."