TopiC: Allahverdi Baghirov

Participation in saving Khojaly captives During the Khojaly massacre, the battalion of Allahverdi Baghirov near Askeran managed to save hundreds of residents of the city. Baghirov made a great contribution to the removal of the bodies of those killed during the Khojaly massacre from the battlefield and the release of Azerbaijani prisoners in exchange for the bodies and captives of Armenian soldiers. Allahverdi Baghirov, through Vitaly Balasanyan, commander of the Armenian battalion in Askeran, saved more than 1003 residents of Khojaly from captivity in three days. According to Balasanyan, he handed over 1250 people to the Azerbaijanis. Baghirov received Azerbaijani prisoners at Garagadjy cemetery in Agdam district, brought them by bus and handed them over to their family. It was as a result of Allahverdi Baghirov's talks with Vitaly Balasanyan that military operators Seyidagha Movsumov and Chingiz Mustafayev had the opportunity to film from the site of the Khojaly massacre. 

Thus, according to the then TV cameraman of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry, Seyidagha Movsumov, he and the commander of the Agdam battalion, Allahverdi Baghirov, went to the checkpoint on the Askeran road. After negotiations with his opponent, Baghirov met with Balasanyan. It was Allahverdi Baghirov's first meeting with Vitaly Balasanyan on February 28 of 1992, two days after the Khojaly massacre. Baghirov told Balasanyan that his fighters wanted to collect the bodies and carry out video footage. At first Balasanyan did not agree to the shooting, but then Baghirov managed to persuade the Armenian commander; provided that the two Armenian soldiers will follow the Azerbaijanis to the end and no filming will be carried out without their permission. Baghirov agreed, after which Movsumov and several people of Baghirov got into the cars of the Armenian military and together with two trucks drove towards Khojaly. On that day, the fighters of Baghırov battalion were also able to carry the body of the commandant of Khojali airport, Alif Hajiyev. Also that day, at 10 p.m., the first group of Khojali Azerbaijanis, mostly women and children, was sent to Agdam.