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Pennsylvania House condemns Khojaly genocide

25 March 2013 14:18 (UTC+04:00)
Pennsylvania House condemns Khojaly genocide

By Sara Rajabova

The House of Representatives of Pennsylvania has adopted a resolution recognizing the Khojaly genocide committed by Armenian armed forces against Azerbaijani civilians during the 1990s war, becoming another US state to condemn the massacre.

The resolution says February 26, 2013 marks the 21st anniversary of Khojaly Massacre in Azerbaijan, adding that the observance of this tragic date inspires reflection by individuals across the globe.

The document says that on February 25 and 26, 1992, Armenian armed forces, accompanied by troops of the former Soviet Union, attacked and occupied the besieged town of Khojaly as part of the armed aggression and ethnic cleansing that had been taking place in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan since 1988.

It notes that when the residents of the town attempted to flee, they were fired upon by the Armenian and Soviet troops, resulting in the largest massacre of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The resolution emphasizes it is estimated that 613 civilians were killed, 150 civilians went missing, 487 civilians were wounded and 1,270 were taken hostage. It said the massacre was reported by major news outlets and viewed by Human Rights Watch as a violation of customary law regarding the treatment of civilians in war zones.

"This tragic event is a sobering reminder of the terrible carnage that can be inflicted in wartime and the enduring need for greater understanding, communication and tolerance among people."

The resolution No. 171 was introduced by members of the House of Representatives Thomas Murt (prime sponsor), Vanessa Lowery Brown, Thomas Caltagirone, Mark Cohen, Gordon Denlinger, Mauree Gingrich, Tim Hennessey, Dick Hess, William Kortz, Nicholas Micozzie, David Millard, Harry Readshaw, and Curtis Sonney.

The resolution also praises the role of the U.S. Azeris Network in promoting the awareness of Khojaly Massacre in the United States. It says the organization is in coordination with Azerbaijani-American communities to educate others about important events of Azerbaijan's history.

"The U.S. Azeris Network plays a pivotal role in preserving the memory of this terrible tragedy and through its efforts, the legacy of those who died will never be forgotten," it said.

The members of the House of Representatives resolved that copies of the resolution "be transmitted to the United States Department of State, the US Embassy in Azerbaijan and to each member of Congress from Pennsylvania".

Pennsylvania became the 11th U.S. state to recognize the Khojaly Massacre after Massachusetts, Texas, Maine, New Jersey, Georgia, New Mexico, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.

Besides, the resolutions on the Khojaly tragedy have been passed in the parliaments of Turkey, Pakistan, Mexico, and Colombia, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

This year, such resolutions were adopted in the parliaments of the Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The town of Khojaly was situated within the administrative borders of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Its population constituted over 7,000 people.

Late into the night of February 25, 1992, Khojaly came under intensive fire from the towns of Khankendi and Askeran already occupied by Armenian armed forces. The Armenian forces, supported by the ex-Soviet 366th regiment, completed the surrounding of the town already isolated due to ethnic cleansing of the Azerbaijani population of the neighboring regions. The joint forces occupied the town, which was ruined by heavy artillery shelling.

Thousands of fleeing civilians were ambushed by the Armenian forces. Punitive teams of the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh defense army reached the unprotected civilians to slaughter them, mutilating and scalping some of the bodies. 613 civilians, including 106 women, 70 elderly and 83 children, were killed in the massacre. A total of 1,000 civilians were disabled. Eight families were exterminated, and 25 children lost both parents, while 130 children lost one parent. Moreover, 1,275 innocent people were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 remains unknown.

Azerbaijan and Armenia for over two decades have been locked in conflict, which emerged over Armenian territorial claims. Since the lengthy war in the early 1990s that displaced over one million Azerbaijanis, Armenian armed forces have occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions.

Russia, France and the U.S. - co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - have long been working to broker a solution of the long-lasting conflict, but their efforts have been largely fruitless so far.

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