Azerbaijanis around world commemorate Khojaly genocide
By Akbar Mammadov
The 28th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide perpetrated by Armenian forces on February 26, 1992 during the Nagorno-Karabakh war has been commemorated around the world.
A commemoration event was held in Solothurn, Switzerland on February 25.
Co-organized by the “Azerbaijan-Turkish Culture Association”, “Friends of Azerbaijan” and “Cultural Center of Azerbaijanis in Switzerland” diaspora organizations jointly with the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Switzerland, the ceremony brought together public figures and Azerbaijanis living in Switzerland.
Ambassador Khanum Ibrahimova described Khojaly massacre as the most painful tragedy in the recent history of the Azerbaijani people.
She used a quote from Former President Heydar Aliyev’s speech on Khojaly, who had said that "The Khojaly genocide with its inconceivable cruelty and inhuman punitive methods completely targeted against the people of Azerbaijan and represents an act of barbarism the history of humankind. At the same time, this genocide was a historical crime against humanity".
Ambassador talked about the atrocities committed by Armenia, noting Azerbaijan's efforts to expose the aggressive policy of this country in the world. She informed the audience about the international awareness campaign "Justice for Khojaly!", initiated by Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
Khanum Ibrahimova reminded that the Khojaly genocide was also brought to the attention of the international community by President Ilham Aliyev during his speech at the Munich Security Council on February 15 where he exposed Armenia’s policy of aggression.
Addressing the event, head of the “Azerbaijan-Turkish Culture Association” Cevzet Aras said that Khojaly massacre was the continuation of ethnic cleansing policy carried out by the Armenian chauvinist-nationalists against Azerbaijanis.
The Embassy also organized an exhibition reflecting the horrors of the Khojaly genocide, as well as Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The Khojaly genocide was also commemorated in Chicago, the United States.
The event was organized by the Azerbaijan Center of Midwest America, with the support of the State Committee for Work with Diaspora and the Embassy of Azerbaijan in the United States of America at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.
As part of the event, a photo exhibition and seminar on “Khojaly tragedy - bloody memory and memories” were organized.
The event was attended by the head of Azerbaijani Center of Midwest America (ACMA), Farid Mammadov and ACMA Board Chairman Mehriban Mammadova, Consul General of Turkey in Chicago Ayşe Selcan Sanli, employyes of the Embassy of Azerbaijan to the US and the State Committee for Diaspora, US Congressman Mike Quigley's Representative, Jenny Herman, Head of the Central Asian Effectiveness Research Center, Professor Harry Lepinski, Jenin Ntihirageza, professor of genocide and war disasters at Northeastern Illinois University, Professor Maria Korkatsch-Groszko, Member of the Board of the Holocaust and Genocide Commission of Illinois, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the American American Congress in Ukraine - Roman Yatskowski and Feny Sempson-Cohen, Representative of the American Jewish Community in Chicago, as well as, as a special guest Canin Oberrotman, the Holocaust witness and others.
Earlier, on February 22, Azerbaijanis living in around 30 European countries held a rally to commemorate the Khojaly victims and to raise awareness about Armenian aggression against Azerbaijani civilians. The participants of the rally voiced the slogans "Karabakh is Azerbaijan!", "We say no to terror!", "Azerbaijan demands justice!", "Don't be indifferent to Khojaly!", "Shame to the murders of the civils and innocent people!", "Armenia stop lying!", "Stop invasion!", etc.
A number of commemorative events were also held in Azerbaijan.
The even dedicated to the 28 anniversary of the Khojaly genocide was held in Navy Forces according to the action plan approved by the Minister of Defense.
The staff of the “N” military unit, members of the Public Union "Promotion of Khojaly genocide", public representatives and schoolchildren participated in the event.
The comprehensive information about the ethnic cleansing, genocide, aggression policy purposefully committed by Armenian nationalists against Azerbaijani people, the dire consequences of the massacre in Khojaly committed on February 26, 1992, material and moral damage to the Azerbaijani people as a result of the tragedy were provided during the event.
Series of events commemorating the anniversary of the Khojaly genocide were held in the troops of Nakhchivan Garrison.
It was stated during the event that for the first time, the Khojaly genocide was legally and politically evaluated upon the initiative of Heydar Aliyev and the “Justice for Khojaly” international promotion campaign that plays a significant role to raise awareness about the tragedy.
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