AZERBAIJANI JOURNALISTS AND MASS MEDIA WORKERS

MATYRED AND PHYSICALLY INJURED DURING THE

FIRST AND SECOND KARABAKH WARS

 

During the 1st and 2nd Karabakh wars, 11 Azerbaijani media workers who operated in the war zone and were sent to the front were killed, 8 people were seriously injured.

 

Martyred journalists and media workers

 

Salatin Aziz gizi Askarova (1961-1991): Journalist, correspondent of the newspaper "Youth of Azerbaijan" (Molodyoj Azerbaijana.

During the First Karabakh War, she prepared reports from hotspots and interviews from official meetings. On January 9, 1991, on the 6th kilometer of the road from Lachin district to Shusha city, near the village of Galaderasi, she was surrounded by Armenian armed forces, the car in which she was, was set on fire. As a result of the attack, journalist Salatin Askerova was killed.

After her death, she was given the title of the National Hero of Azerbaijan. She was buried in the Alley of Martyrs in Baku.

 

Ali Mustafa oglu Mustafayev (1952-1991): TV journalist, employee of the Azerbaijan TV and Radio Broadcasting Company. He was a parliamentary correspondent of the Supreme Assembly of the Azerbaijan Republic in Moscow (1989-1990). In 1991, for his successful activity, he was given the title of “The Best Journalist of the Year.”

During the First Karabakh War, he prepared reports from the hotspots in Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as interviews from official meetings. He died on November 20, 1991 in the territory of Khojavand district, near the village of Garakand, as a result of shooting down of a helicopter with peacekeepers by Armenian forces.

After his death, he was given the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan. He was buried in the Alley of Martyrs in Baku.

 

Osman Mirzahuseyn oglu Mirzayev (1937-1991): journalist of the newspaper "Molodyoj Azerbaijana", newspaper "Vishka", later collaborated with the Azerbaijan TV and Radio Broadcasting Company. He was one of the founders of the socio-political program “Dalgha (Wave).” He received the title of “Honored Journalist of the Azerbaijan SSR”. In September 1990, Osman Mirzayev got appointment to the Administration of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic and became the Press Secretary of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic.

He died as a result of the shooting down of a helicopter by Armenian forces in Garakand village of Khojavand district on November 20, 1991 during the First Karabakh War. He was buried in the Alley of Martyrs in Baku.

 

Fakhraddin Ibrahim oglu Shahbazov  (1950-1991): Operator, employee of the Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. In 1972, he began working at the Azerbaijan Television and Radio Company, where he worked as an operator for 20 years. Fakhraddin Shahbazova, who witnessed the forced deportation of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh and Western Azerbaijan in 1988, decided to film the events. He traveled to the frontlines, prepared reports from the battlefields and broadcast them both on domestic and foreign TV channels.

During the years of the First Karabakh War, he prepared reports from the hotspots from the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region and interviews from official meetings. He died on November 20, 1991 as a result of a helicopter with peacekeepers being shot down by Armenian militants near the village of Garakand in the Khojavand region.

He died as a result of the shooting down of a helicopter with peacekeepers by Armenian forces in Garakand village of Khojavand district on November 20, 1991.

After his death, he was given the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan. He was buried in the Alley of Martyrs in Baku.

 

Arif Ismayil oglu Huseynzade (1970-1991): He worked as a lighting engineer in the Azerbaijan TV and Radio Broadcasting Company.

During the First Karabakh War, he accompanied film crews preparing interviews and reports from the hotspots.

He died as a result of the shooting down of a helicopter with peacekeepers by Armenian forces in Garakand village of Khojavand district on November 20, 1991.

After his death, he was given the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan. He was buried in the Alley of Martyrs in Baku.

 

Chingiz Fuad oglu Mustafayev (1960-1992): TV reporter, founder of the "215 kl" TV channel. Being a doctor by profession, he showed great interest in journalism. One of his first famous works as a TV reporter was filming the massacres committed by the Soviet army in Baku during the events of January 20, 1990. After that, he devoted his whole life to professional journalism.

The news published in the 215 kl studio founded by Chingiz Mustafayev was of great importance for Azerbaijan that was under the information blockade. His reports reached leading American and European news agencies and television channels. With his film on Khojaly, he seriously damaged the image of Armenia all over the world.

He was killed by a missile fragment in Nakhchivanlı village of Khojaly district on June 15, 1992. After his death, he was given the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan. He was buried in the Alley of Martyrs in Baku.

 

Kazımagha Mohsun oglu Karimov (1951-1992): a journalist, worked in “Azerbaijan School” (Azerbaijan mektebi) magazine, “Azerbaijan Teacher” (Azerbaijan muellumi) newspaper.

He went to the front during the First Karabakh War and he took part in many military operations as as a serviceman. He commanded the battles in the villages of Gulustan, Garachinar, Manas, Şafag and Tap Garagoyunlu in the Goranboy district. The battalion under his command took part in the liberation of the so-called Shaumyankand area at that time. He was seriously injured in the operations carried out on 12-13 June 1992. He died on June 15, 1992.

After his death, he was given the title of National Hero of Azerbaijan. He was buried in the Alley of Martyrs in Baku.

 

Maharram Ali oglu Ibrahimov  (1982–2021). Journalist, correspondent of the Azerbaijan State News Agency. He had worked for media for 20 years, specializing as a military journalist and serving on the front lines.

He prepared news and reports from hotspots during the “April Battles” in 2016, and the “Tovuz Battles” in 2020.

He participated in the preparation of many reports on the Second Karabakh War and its results. He died as a result of a mine explosion near the Susuzluq village of Kalbajar district on June 4, 2021. He was buried in the cemetery in Musvigabad settlement

By the order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated June 14, 2021, he was awarded the Medal of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland” the 3rd class.

 

Siraj Abish oglu Abishov (1989-2021). An operator at the Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting CJSC.

He participated in the preparation of many reports on the Second Karabakh War and its results. He died as a result of a mine explosion near the Susuzluq village of Kalbajar district on June 4, 2021 and was buried in the Alley of Martyrs in Sumgait city.

By order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, dated June 14, 2021, he was awarded the Medal of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland”, the 3rd class.

 

Shohrat Usub oglu Hasanov (1944-1992). Worked for the territorial administration in Khojaly district. He has been collaborating with various media organizations since 1990. Since 1991, he has been an employee of the newspaper “The Voice of Khojaly” (Khojalinin sesi). In the days when the city of Khojaly (district) was besieged and attacked by the Armenian armed forces, he prepared news and reports from the region and published them in the newspaper “The Voice of Khojaly” and other mass media means.

   During the occupation of the Khojaly district, he joined the defense battles and was martyred. He was buried in the Alley of Martyrs in Baku. Was awarded the Medal for Bravery.

 

Davud  Tariyel oglu Gurbanov (1996 - 2020). He worked as a montage specialist at the Azad Azerbaijani Television.

Participated as a serviceman in the Second Karabakh War, which began on September 27, 2020. He was martyred in the battles for the liberation of Sugovushan, occupied by Armenia. He was buried in the village of Birinji Shikhli, Gazakh district.

By the order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated 12.15.2020, Davud Gurbanov was posthumously awarded the medal “For the Fatherland.” He was also awarded the Medal “For the Liberation of Sugovushan” by the Decree of the President in December 29, 2020.

 

Physically injured and wounded media workers 

 - Seyidagha Movsumlu: Employee of the Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. Later he worked as a military operator at the Ministry of Defense. While preparing a report in the Lachin district in 1991-92, he was seriously injured and severely wounded in the throat.

- Salman Babayev: He was an employee of the “Karabakh” newspaper. In March 1992, when he was preparing a report on the battles carried out in the Fuzuli district, the territory where he was underwent bombing. He received serious injuries. The results of the injury are still visible today.

- Adil Arifoghlu: Employee of the Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. Seriously wounded while preparing a report in the Kalbajar district in 1991-92.

- Eljan Huseynov: He was an employee of the “Karabakh” newspaper. During the siege of Khojaly in 1992, he underwent an attack and seriously wounded while preparing a report from the city.

- Allahverdi Asadov: He was an employee of the Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting Company. He worked as a special correspondent of the company in the Karabakh region. He was shot and seriously wounded while preparing a report in the Aghdara direction.