Azerbaijan hopes Armenian terrorists to be prosecuted - ombudsman
By Nazrin Gadimova
Azerbaijan hopes that Armenian terrorists, who were involved in the Khojaly genocide, will be prosecuted.
Country’s Human Rights Commissioner Elmira Suleymanova made the remark in her statement issued on the eve of the 24th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide. Suleymanova stressed that basic human rights, especially the right to life, have been grossly violated by the Armenian vandals.
Back in February 1992, Armenian armed forces supported by the 366th infantry regiment of the Soviet army attacked the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly leaving hundreds of people dead.
613 civilians mostly women and children were killed in the massacre, and a total of 1,000 people were disabled. Eight families were exterminated, 25 children lost both parents, and 130 children lost one parent. Moreover, 1,275 innocent people were taken hostage, and the fate of 150 of them remains unknown.
“We hope that Armenian terrorists, who were involved in the Khojaly genocide and pursued aggression policy against Azerbaijan, will be prosecuted, while the country-aggressor Armenia will be sanctioned by international bodies,” Suleymanova said in her statement.
The ombudsman further noted that the invader Armenian troops should free the occupied territories of Azerbaijan; Armenia must renounce its groundless territorial claims against Azerbaijan and follow the requirements of the international documents adopted over the conflict. The territorial integrity of Azerbaijan must be restored, while the Azerbaijani IDPs have to return to the homeland.
“In this regard it is of great importance to bring the truth about Azerbaijan and vandalism of Armenia to the world community,” the statement reads.
The statement was sent to UN Secretary General, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, European Commission, OSCE, the Council of Europe, Institute of International and European Ombudsmen, Asian Ombudsman Association, International Peace Bureau, Universal Peace Federation, human rights commissioners of various countries, Azerbaijani embassies in foreign countries, embassies of foreign countries in Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani Diaspora organizations.
The legislative bodies of many countries have already adopted resolutions recognizing the crime committed by Armenians against the peaceful people in Khojaly as genocide.
Meanwhile, the Congress of European Azerbaijanis has sent statement regarding the Khojaly genocide to the European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights.
The statement gives information about the Khojaly genocide and the “Justice for Khojaly” campaign, launched by Leyla Aliyeva, General Coordinator of the OIC Youth Forum on Intercultural Dialogue.
The ‘campaign kicked off in 2008 aimed to spread the realities about the Khojaly genocide, the recognition of this tragedy as genocide committed against the Azerbaijani people.
So far, events dedicated to this tragedy, have been held in over 70 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America. Protests and rallies in front of the parliaments and government agencies of various countries, as well as seminars and conferences were held as part of the events.
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Nazrin Gadimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @NazrinGadimova
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