Azerbaijan mourns Khojaly genocide victims
By Sara Rajabova
February 26 marks the 23rd anniversary of the Khojaly Genocide. On this fateful day, Armenian armed forces unleashed hell onto Azerbaijan, targeting innocent and unarmed civilians. Hundreds perished by the hands of Armenian soldiers, lost to a hatred they did not understand.
President Ilham Aliyev paid a tribute to the victims of the tragedy - one of the bloodiest crimes in the history of mankind and one of the most tragic days in Azerbaijan history. He passed a guard of honor arranged near the memorial before laying down a wreath at the monument in honor of the Khojaly victims.
Prime Minister Artur Rasizade, Parliamentary Speaker Ogtay Asadov and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu also laid flowers at the memorial.
The commemorative ceremony was attended by state and government officials, MPs, ministers, heads of committees and companies, leaders of religious confessions, as well as Khojaly genocide survivors.
In 1992, the town of Khojaly came under intense fire from the towns of Khankendi and Askeran, already under occupation by the Armenian armed forces. 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. The fate of 150 abductees remains unknown to this day. Many civilians were shot at close range, scalped or burned alive.
Thousands of Baku residents arrived at the Khojaly memorial on February 26 to pay tribute to the victims of the genocide. Numerous events have been organized in different cities and regions across Azerbaijan to commemorate the tragedy.
The Youth Fund under the tutelage of the President of Azerbaijan organized on February 25 the march with the participation of youth organizations' members, held under the slogan: "Justice for Khojaly!”
The march, held in connection with the 23rd anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy was attended by more than three thousand people.
Exhibitions dedicated to the tragedy, as well as movies, documental films were also showcased in connection with the anniversary of the bloody massacre.
The tragedy victims also widely commemorated in the different countries in the world. Azerbaijanis abroad also marked the event by organizing rallies and gatherings.
The “Justice for Khojaly” campaign, which has been initiated by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and General Coordinator for intercultural dialogue of the ICYF-DC in 2009 has played a great role in publicizing the truth about the Khojaly genocide. The campaign successfully operates in over 50 countries worldwide.
Such efforts have enabled Azerbaijan to demand justice and reparation for its people, calling on the international community to judge Armenia for its war crimes.
The parliaments of Pakistan, Mexico, Colombia, Romania, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Jordan, as well as the legislative bodies of more than 15 states of the Unites States, including New-Mexico, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Western Virginia, New-Jersey, Tennessee and Arizona have adopted relevant documents.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) adopted a final Cairo Communiqué in February 2013, at its summit held in Cairo, labeling the Khojaly tragedy genocide against humanity. The Communiqué calls on the international community to recognize the genocide.
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