Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan has called on the UN to establish a commission on investigating and assessing the facts relating to the Khojaly genocide perpetrated by Armenian armed forces against Azerbaijani civilians in 1992.

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov made this initiative during the 22nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

Khalafov has informed the participants of the session about the Armenian military aggression against Azerbaijan, its severe consequences, the Khojaly genocide committed against civilians in the Azerbaijani town.

On Feb. 25-26 February, 1992, Armenian occupation forces together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops stationed in Khankendi (previously Stepanakert) committed an act of genocide towards the population of the Azerbaijani Khojaly town.

Some 613 people were killed including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old men. A total of 1000 civilians were disabled during the genocide. Eight families were killed, 130 children lost one parent and 25 lost both. Additionally, 1275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 remains unknown.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 per cent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994.The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France and the U.S. - are currently holding peace negotiations.

Armenia has not yet implemented four U.N. Security Council resolutions on a withdrawal from Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.