MP: Azerbaijan should initiate judicial process on Khojali genocide
By Rashid Shirinov
The launch of a judicial process over the Khojaly genocide, committed by Armenians back in 1992, may cause a big resonance in the world.
Azerbaijani MP Asim Mollazadeh made the remark during presentation of the project “Study of the legal aspects of recognition at the international level crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing” in Baku.
The parliamentarian suggested considering this issue through more real prisms, mentioning that Azerbaijan was late in this matter.
“We have little hope that the UN Security Council will take any steps in connection with this crime. However, the international court may punish the criminals,” Mollazadeh noted.
He stressed that Azerbaijan, with the participation of international lawyers, should achieve holding of such a trial in the country.
“Currently, there are 38 Armenian criminals [who were involved in the genocide crimes] in Armenia and Russia. We have to achieve extradition of these criminals to Azerbaijan through the agreement signed between Azerbaijan and Russia,” the MP said.
The Khojaly genocide, which occurred on the night of February 25-26, 1992, is one of the bloodiest tragedies in human history.
As a result of the massacre, 613 people, including 106 women, 63 children, 70 old men, were mercilessly killed, 487 people were injured, 1,275 civilians were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people is still unknown. Moreover, eight families were completely destroyed, while 25 children lost both parents.
Armenia broke out a lengthy war against Azerbaijan laying territorial claims on its South Caucasus neighbor. Since a war in the early 1990s, Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan's territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and over 1 million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding districts.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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