Salatyn Asgarova

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Salatyn Asgarova (also spelled Salatin Askerova; Azeri: Salatın Əsgərova; Russian: Салатын Аскерова) is a National Hero of Azerbaijan. She was one of many Azerbaijani journalists killed in the Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Salatyn Asgarova

Salatyn was born on December 16, 1961 in Baku, Azerbaijan. After finishing secondary school, she entered Azerbaijan Oil and Chemistry Institute. However, her enormous interest in literature brought her into journalism. She started her journalistic career at “Baku” newspaper, and then began working as a special correspondent for “Molodezh Azerbaijana” (“The Youth of Azerbaijan”).

Prior to the beginning of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, Salatyn was writing about contemporary issues of society. However, after the Karabakh war broke out, Salatyn frequently visited the front line and provided press coverage from hot spots. Her family and colleagues tried to persuade her not to go to the front line jeopardizing her life. In such cases she would usually say: “If nobody goes, then who will?”

On January 9, 1991, the 29-year-old journalist was on her way to Shusha to prepare a story for the newspaper. At the 6th kilometer of the Lachin - Shusha highway next to Galadarasi village the vehicle she was in was gunned down by Armenian^[1]^[2] soldiers who shot at point-blank range. The vehicle counted 113 bullet holes. As a result of the attack, Salatyn Asgarova died instantly. Three military officers (Lieutenant-Colonel O. Larionov, Major I. Ivanov and Sergeant I. Goyek) of the Soviet Army accompanying her were killed as well.^[3]

The murderers – Arno Mkrtchian, Grachik Petrossian, A. Mongasagian and Garik Arustamian – were identified and arrested; however, due to certain circumstances, they were later released and handed over to the Armenian authorities.^[4]

Today one of Baku’s streets and a vessel in the Caspian Sea carry her name, and a monument in her memory was erected at Tafakkur University in Baku. The village where Salatyn was killed was named Salatynkand.

She was conferred the National Hero title posthumously. Salatyn was buried in the Alley of Martyrs together with those who died for the territorial integrity and independence of Azerbaijan, people she was going to dedicate her last article to.^[5]