Azerbaijanis protest outside European Parliament
By Sara Rajabova
Azerbaijanis living in Europe held a protest outside the European Parliament in Brussels on October 3 that was joined by about 300 Azerbaijanis, the local media reported.
The protesters expressed concern over the international community's indifference to the Armenian occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories.
The protest participants voiced slogans calling for a fair assessment of the Khojaly genocide committed by Armenian vandals in accordance with the principles of international law.
The Khojaly massacre is one of the most heinous and bloodiest events of the 20th century. Late into the night of February 25, 1992, the town of Khojaly came under intensive fire from the town of Khankendi and Askeran already occupied by Armenian armed forces. 613 civilians were killed, including 106 women, 70 elderly and 83 children, and a total of 1,000 civilians were disabled. Moreover, 1,275 innocent people were taken hostage.
Participants of the protest also said it is inexplicable that international organizations, which have made protection of human rights one of their paramount tasks, lack a firm stance regarding the violation of the rights of more than one million Azerbaijani internally displaced persons.
They added that Azerbaijan has chosen the path of integration into the world community and pays special attention to the expansion of cooperation with the European Union countries.
Participants of the rally also protested against some statements of European Parliament officials addressed to Azerbaijan.
The protesters noted that despite the indispensable role of Azerbaijan in the European energy security, for some reason European countries continue to be indifferent to the problems Azerbaijan faces.
Participants of the protest, who also sounded slogans on Azerbaijan's choosing the path towards building a democratic and legal state, said that the Azerbaijanis are the founders of the first democratic republic in the East and do not need anyone's lessons.
A statement adopted in conclusion of the rally notes that in recent years, Azerbaijan has made strides in the socio-economic development and maintenance of political stability.
"Therefore, today Azerbaijan has great influence in the world, is a state with democratic and universal values. Constantly evolving and having a stable economy, Azerbaijan is a worthy member of the international community," the statement said.
The statement also said the only way of providing the Azerbaijani people's peace and security is a fair solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and bringing peace to the region through the policies pursued by President Ilham Aliyev.
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict emerged in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Since a 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.
The protesters also appreciated the progress made by Azerbaijan and noted that they would spare no effort to protect the national interests of the country.