About the Situation in Sumgait
Original Source: Bakinskii rabochii, 3 March 1988.
As has already been announced, in Sumgait on 28 February a group of hooligan elements provoked disorder. Unsteady, immature people who had fallen under the influence of provocational rumors and inflammatory conversations about events in Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia were drawn into unlawful actions. Taking advantage of the unleashed passions and emotions, criminal elements committed acts of banditry. There were tragic occurrences and there were victims. Party, government, and law enforcement organs took decisive steps to normalize the situation. The law enforcement organs detained people discovered in criminal acts.
A government commission has been formed, headed by the President of the Soviet of Ministers of the Azerbaijan SSR, G. N. Seidov, which is to decide all questions concerning the guarantee of uninterrupted functioning of the city services, the repair of homes and public buildings, and the support of social order. Necessary assistance is being given to victims. The requests and appeals of citizens are being considered, and based upon them operative measures are being taken.
The workers of the city are showing restraint, are strengthening the internationalist atmosphere in their collectives. The rhythm of labor has not been interrupted even for a minute. The institutions of industry, transportation, trade, food supply, public services, and others are working in the proper manner, and activities proceed in the schools.
Candidate member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU and first deputy President of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR P. N. Demichev and the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan K. M. Bagirov met with the workers of Sumgait and showed interest in the basic questions of life in the city and the guaranteeing of social order, and the measures taken to investigate anti-social phenomena.
An investigative group of the Procurator of the USSR is taking measures to investigate crimes and bring to responsibility the people who took part in them.
Source: Soviet Multinational State: readings and documents, ed. Martha B. Olcott with Lubomyr Hajda and Anthony Olcott. Armonk, N.Y.: M.E. Sharpe, 1990.