Khojaly genocide - one of the most appalling tragedies in the history of mankind.

In connection with the 25th anniversary of Khojaly genocide, the Gabala Cultural Center hosted the commemoration ceremony. Internally displaced persons from Khojaly placed in Gabala, martyrs' families and members of the public were invited to the event. First, the event participants visited the exhibition of drawings, organized in the foyer of the center, reflecting the horrors of Khojaly tragedy. The ceremony was opened by the representative of Ismayilli Regional Department of Culture and Tourism on the Gabala region Nargila Gafarova. At the meeting, the memory of victims of Khojaly genocide and the martyrs who died for the integrity of the Azerbaijani lands was honored with a minute of silence. Further, the floor was given to the Head of the Gabala Region Executive Power Mr. Sabuhi Abdullayev. In his speech, the Head of the REP brought to the attention that today is a sad day for our homeland, our country. Khojaly genocide entered the history of Azerbaijan as one of the most terrible and tragic pages. For 200 years our people was constantly subjected to ethnic cleansing, genocide by Armenian nationalist-chauvinists. Periodically our compatriots were exiled from their historical lands, became refugees and internally displaced persons, and all this was accompanied by massacres committed by Armenians. It was noted that the events around Nagorno-Karabakh, which began in 1988, led to the destruction of villages, towns on the historical territory of Azerbaijan, the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent people, the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of our citizens from their native lands. Desire of Armenia to annex Nagorno-Karabakh despite international legal norms, which led to one of the most terrible tragedies of the twentieth century - the Khojaly tragedy, which occurred on the night of February 25 to 26, 1992, is one of the most serious crimes not only against the Azerbaijani people, but against humanity and the whole mankind. Khojaly genocide is on a par with such terrible tragedies of the last century as Khatyn, Hiroshima, Nagasaki and My Lai. That night, the Armenian military forces committed genocide in Khojaly town with a population of 7000 people. As a result of the attack of Armenia military forces only about 3 thousand people survived. A significant part of the population being under siege for more than 4 months was forced to leave the city. During the Khojaly genocide 613 people were killed, 1000 peaceful residents of different age became invalid because of bullet wounds. 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people were murdered. 8 families were completely destroyed, 25 children lost both parents, 130 people lost one of their parents. 1275 peaceful residents were taken hostage, the fate of 150 of them is still unknown. All this with peculiar ferocity and inconceivable barbarism was committed by Armenian armed forces. Guided by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide dated on December 9, 1948, the Azerbaijani people demand the execution of four resolutions adopted by the UN against the Republic of Armenia, unconditional withdrawal of Armenian military forces from Nagorno-Karabakh. We believe that this crime is the massacre, directed not only against the Azerbaijani people, but also the whole civilized world, against humanity. The crime should not go unpunished. The military-political aggression of Armenia shall receive condemnation from the international community. International organizations, parliaments of the world countries should give the international political and legal assessment to Khojaly genocide - war crime, committed by the Republic of Armenia on the Azerbaijani lands, as a true genocide. He brought to the attention, that the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev made all the necessary arrangements for the liberation of our lands from occupation. Speaking about the presidential decree on the activities in connection with the reconstruction of the Jojug Marjanli village of Jabrayil region, liberated from occupation on January 24, Sabuhi Abdullayev noted that this is the first such case for all the time of the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and this is the beginning of a great return. In his speech at the ceremony the Khojaly resident Giyas Ahmadov spoke about the massacres committed by Armenians from time to time, stressed the importance of informing the world community of the truth about the Khojaly genocide. During the meeting aliterary and art composition was shown devoted to Khojaly genocide. In conclusion, summing up the commemoration ceremony, the Head of the Region Executive Power, Mr. Sabuhi Abdullayev wished patience, will and firmness to the families of martyrs of Khojaly genocide, our compatriots who have become disabled, who have lost loved ones and become refugees, expressed confidence that as a result of joint efforts of the country's leaders and international organizations, Azerbaijan's territorial integrity will be restored, and the return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their native lands will be provided.