U.S. congressmen condemns Khojaly genocide
By Sara Rajabova
The United States congressmen has condemned the Khojaly genocide and called on world leaders to contribute to settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The U.S. congressmen made statements in connection with the 22nd anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy in Congress on February 25, the Azerbaijani embassy in the U.S. said on February 27.
In his statement, co-chairman of the working group on Azerbaijan in the Congress, Steve Cohen spoke about the tragedy in Khojaly in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, noting that the region is currently under occupation.
The Armenian armed forces, supported by the ex-Soviet 366th regiment, occupied and ruined by heavy artillery shelling the town of Khojali on February 26, 1992.
As many as 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. Civilians were shot at close range, scalped, and burned alive. Some had their eyes gouged out and others were beheaded.
While describing Azerbaijan as a strong U.S. ally in an important region of the world, Cohen stressed the importance of the U.S. active participation in resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict.
In her statement, member of the working group on Azerbaijan Virginia Foxx called the Khojaly tragedy the most tragic event during the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. She stressed the importance of revering the Khojaly tragedy victims' memory by the American people.
U.S. Congressmen Gene Green and Tim Ryan also made statements in the Congress in connection with the 22nd anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy.
Congressman Green urged the world leaders to contribute to the achievement of a peace agreement that will put an end to the occupation of Azerbaijani lands.
Congressman Ryan stressed that the just and comprehensive settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict is crucial in terms of establishing a lasting peace in the region.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions. The UN Security Council's four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal have not been enforced to this day.
Peace talks, mediated by Russia, France and the U.S. through the OSCE Minsk Group, are underway on the basis of a peace outline proposed by the Minsk Group co-chairs and dubbed the Madrid Principles. The negotiations have been largely fruitless so far.