Ombudsperson: Khojaly genocide was integral part of Armenia's occupation policy
By Rashid Shirinov
This February marks the 25th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, which is one of the blackest and bloodiest pages of human history.
Even after 25 years, the scars remain raw and the trauma as stark as ever.
Khojaly, the second largest town in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, came under intense fire from the towns of Khankendi and Askeran already occupied by the Armenian Armed Forces in 1992.
About 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.
This tragedy is another terrible example of the policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Azerbaijani people, which is pursued by the Armenian nationalists and their patrons for a long time, reads a statement by Country’s Human Rights Commissioner Elmira Suleymanova issued on the eve of the next anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.
“The Khojaly genocide was an integral part of the occupation policy of Armenia against Azerbaijan, and this led to the massive and gross violation of the norms and principles of international law and human rights and freedoms,” reads the statement.
Suleymanova stated that although 25 years have passed, no legal assessment at the international level was given to this genocide. The ombudsman voiced hope that those, who were involved in the Khojaly genocide, will be prosecuted.
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 “Justice for Khojaly” 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.
The legislative bodies of many countries have already adopted resolutions recognizing the crime committed by Armenians against the peaceful people in Khojaly as genocide.
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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov
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