Azerbaijani politicians: Ukraine excessively politicizes Holodomor topic

The topic of Holodomor (also known as Famine-1933) in Ukraine is being excessively politicized, however, the position of Ukrainian President on the issue deserves understanding, Azerbaijani politicians and political scientists believe.

The news that the Ukrainian Parliament has addressed its Azerbaijani counterpart with a request to recognize Holodomor of 1932-33 was commented to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by Mubariz Gurbanly, Deputy of the Executive Secretary of the ruling Party "Eni Azerbaijan" (PEA) and Azerbaijani MP:

"I have no information about the address of the Ukrainian Parliament to the National Assembly of Azerbaijan on recognition of Holodomor." At the same time, he has emphasized that "as a result of erroneous Bolsheviks' policy, in the years of collectivization, facts of mass death of people from famine were registered in many regions of the country." In Ukraine, the tragedy was of especially mass character.

"However today in Ukraine this topic is unduly politicized; and the events of those days are presented as targeted policy of Russians to liquidate the Ukrainian people. But in fact, Stalinism pursued its repressive policy against all the peoples in the multinational country. This policy of total repressions was based not on the national, but on the class principle," the spokesman of the Azerbaijani party in power has emphasized.

The politician has also noted that Azerbaijan had severely suffered from Stalin's repressions. "Azeri peasants were also 'de-kulakized' (deprived of property) and exiled to Kazakhstan steppe," Mr Gurbanly has added.

Rasim Musabekov, Azerbaijani political scientist, has noted, "Ukraine suffered a lot from the monstrous policy of the totalitarian regime. But victims of this policy were among Russians and among other USSR nations." The repressive machine of Stalinism had not bypassed Azerbaijan too, however, this republic was not a major grain producer, therefore no facts of mass loss of people from famine were registered in Azerbaijan, said Mr Musabekov.