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OIC calls on Armenia to withdraw troops from Azerbaijani lands

29 May 2015 16:04 (UTC+04:00)
OIC calls on Armenia to withdraw troops from Azerbaijani lands

By Sara Rajabova

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, which includes 57 countries and is the second largest international organization after the UN, has demanded from Armenia to withdraw its troops from Azerbaijan lands.

The resolution adopted at the end 42th session of Foreign Ministers of OIC member states on May 29 condemns Armenia’s continuing aggression against Azerbaijan and requires the implementation of all UN Security Council resolutions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Azerbaijan’s foreign Ministry reported.

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. A lengthy war in the early 1990s resulted in the displacement of over one million Azerbaijanis and occupation by the Armenian armed forces of 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.

The document also recognizes Azerbaijan’s right to demand compensation from Armenia for the damage caused during the conflict.

The OIC also condemned the destruction of historical, cultural and religious monuments by Armenia in the occupied Azerbaijani territories.

Furthermore, the OIC’s final declaration stressed respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The organization also once again recognized Khojaly tragedy as an act of genocide, according to the report released on May 29 by the International Secretariat of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation.

A delegation led by Chairman of the Forum, Elshad Iskenderov put forward a special resolution at the 42th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers.

The resolution "On the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation» (N.: 8/42-C), which was unanimously adopted by the Council of Foreign Ministers, called the Khojaly tragedy a genocide. It called on OIC member states to provide the necessary assistance for the recognition of this crime against humanity at an international and national level.

The resolution contains a statement noting that the massacre committed by Armenia armed forces in February of 1992 in the town of Khojaly of Azerbaijan is a crime against humanity. It called upon all member states and the structure of the OIC to actively participate in the "Justice for Khojaly" campaign and bring to justice those involved in the tragedy in Khojaly.

Also, the foreign ministers approved the Memorandum of Cooperation signed in January 2015 between the International Secretariat of the Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation and the Parliamentary Union of the OIC, emphasizing the need to provide full support to cooperation between the two organizations in the framework of the campaign "Justice for Khojaly".

The legislative bodies of many countries earlier adopted resolutions recognizing the crime committed by Armenia against the peaceful people of Khojaly as genocide.

The OIC adopted a final Cairo Communiqué in February 2013, in the summit held in Egypt's capital, naming the Khojaly tragedy a genocide against humanity. The Communiqué calls on the international community to recognize the genocide.

In 1992, the town of Khojaly, the second largest town in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, came under intense fire 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, and the fate of 150 people remains unknown. Civilians were shot at close range, scalped, and burned alive. Some had their eyes gouged out and others were beheaded.

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Sara Rajabova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SaraRajabova

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz

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