Azernews.Az

Thursday March 28 2024

Moldovan Ombudsman calls for prosecution of Khojaly genocide perpetrators

26 February 2014 14:35 (UTC+04:00)
Moldovan Ombudsman calls for prosecution of Khojaly genocide perpetrators

By Jamila Babayeva

Nagorno-Karabakh is a native Azerbaijani land occupied by Armenia, the Ombudsman of Moldova said at an event dedicated to the Khojaly genocide.

The event was held by the Ombudsman`s Administration in Baku, their press-service reported on Feb. 26.

The perpetrators of the Khojaly tragedy should be brought to justice, and justice must be restored, Aurelia Grigoriu said.

Grigoriu noted a special tribunal, like the one established for the Yugoslavia's genocide, should be created to bring the perpetrators to justice.

She highlighted the necessity of Azerbaijan`s initiating the establishment of such a tribunal.

Late into the night of February 25-26, 1992, the town of Khojaly, located within the administrative borders of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, came under intense fire from the towns of Khankendi and Askeran, already occupied by the Armenian armed forces.

There were 3,000 people in the town when the Armenian military forces attacked, because most of the people had to leave town during the 4-month blockade. The Armenian armed forces, supported by the ex-Soviet 366th regiment, surrounded the town already isolated due to ethnic cleansing of the Azerbaijani population in the neighboring regions. The joint forces occupied the town which was ruined by heavy artillery shelling.

As many as 613 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed in the massacre, and a total of 1,000 people were disabled. Eight families were exterminated, 25 children lost both parents, and 130 children lost one parent.

Moreover, 1,275 innocent people were taken hostage, and the fate of 150 of them remains unknown. Civilians were shot at close range, scalped, and burned alive. Some had their eyes gouged out and others were beheaded.

The Moldovan Ombudsman also proposed holding an event in Guba with the participation of international experts on the study of genocides committed since 1905 by Armenia against Azerbaijanis in order to familiarize them with the created Guba Genocide Memorial Complex.

Loading...
Latest See more