Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

A screening ceremony for the documentary film “One Photograph”, dedicated to Shohrat Hasanov, who was killed while defending civilians during the Khojaly Genocide, has been held at the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons.

The event began with a minute of silence in memory of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the Azerbaijani martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country's freedom, independence and territorial integrity.

Speaking at the ceremony, Fuad Huseynov, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee, said that President Ilham Aliyev was successfully continuing the state-building traditions established by National Leader Heydar Aliyev. He emphasized that addressing the problems of refugees and internally displaced persons remained one of the government's policy priorities.

He also highlighted First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva's particular attention to this area.

The event noted that the return of former internally displaced persons to their ancestral lands continues under the Great Return Programme, with permanent resettlement already established in nearly 50 settlements across territories liberated from occupation.

The documentary was subsequently screened. It tells the story of Shohrat Hasanov's life and military service, highlighting his exceptional contribution to publishing “The Voice of Khojaly”, a newspaper that helped bring the voices of the city's residents to the international community during the difficult days of the siege.

The film particularly emphasizes how Hasanov courageously defended Khojaly with both his pen and his weapon, continuing his struggle until his final moments.

The documentary's project manager is Khuraman Osmanova, while Nicat Jalilov served as its concept author and director. The screenplay was written by Orkhan Aslan.

Following the screening, Anar Khalilov, Chairman of the Public Council under the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, and Nicat Jalilov shared their views on the documentary's significance, its production process and their impressions of the film.

Shohrat Hasanov was born on December 23, 1944, in the Khojaly district. Throughout his career, he held several senior positions and was working in the district executive authority when the Khojaly Genocide took place.

During the night of February 25–26, 1992, as Armenian armed formations attacked Khojaly, Hasanov fought until his final moments to save the civilian population. He was captured, tortured and killed by enemy forces.

He is buried at the Alley of Martyrs in Baku. In recognition of his courage and dedicated service, Hasanov was posthumously awarded the Medal for Bravery.

It is worth noting that the documentary's initial premiere took place last week at the Nizami Cinema Centre, attended by the martyr's family members, official guests and representatives of the public.