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Laman Ismayilova

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Azerbaijan Technical University (ATU) has hosted an event called "Khojaly Genocide through the eyes of Reza Deghati" as part of the campaign "Justice for Khojaly!".

The national anthem of Azerbaijan was played, and the memory of Azerbaijani martyrs was honoured with a minute of silence, Azernews reports.

World-famous photojournalist Reza Deghati attended the event, which was co-organized by the Azerbaijan Youth Foundation and the Support for Youth Education Public Association.

Speaking at the event, Vice-Rector of the Azerbaijan Technical University, Narmin Rzayeva, emphasised the importance of the annual commemoration of the victims of the Khojaly Genocide.

Acting Executive Director of the Azerbaijan Youth Foundation, Gadir Khalilov, stressed that the Azerbaijani state is taking the necessary steps to convey the truth about the genocide to the international community.

In his speech, Gadir Khalilov underlined that after the return of National Leader Heydar Aliyev to the country's leadership, the information blockade in which Azerbaijan found itself was broken, and the truth about what was happening in the country, including the Khojaly Genocide, was brought to the attention of the world community.

Reza Deghati presented photographs he took during the Khojaly tragedy, the Patriotic War, and reconstruction work in Karabakh after its liberation and spoke about the events of which he was an eyewitness.

Admitting that the difficult pictures of the past are still alive in his memory, Reza Deghati added that he strives to tell the world about the terrible tragedy and genocide against the Azerbaijani people in the photographs taken in Khojaly.

"I have been a photojournalist for forty-three years. Over the years, I have visited hot spots in many parts of the world and captured many tragedies, but most of all I was shocked by the Khojaly Genocide," R. Deghati told journalists.

Noting that he considers it his duty to bring the right voice of Khojaly to the world, Reza Deghati added:

"I received the news of the Khojaly tragedy when I was in France and immediately went there. This terrible genocide occurred when a serious information war was being waged. The Armenian lobby presented this tragedy to the world in a distorted form."

Reza Deghati, saying that the camera helped him capture the events of that time and tell the whole world about them, added that he considers this work of his life.

"For two years, I created a website called "Witness of Khojaly", displaying photographs on it reflecting the Khojaly tragedy. Today, justice has triumphed, the almost 30-year longing of people for their native land has come to an end," he noted.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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