On February 26, on the occasion of the 34th
anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy, the Chairman of the Constitutional Court,
judges, and employees of the Office visited the "Mother's Cry"
monument, deeply honored the memory of the victims of the Khojaly genocide, and
laid flowers in front of the monument.
Later, at the opening of the memorial event organized
at the Constitutional Court, the dear memory of the civilians who died during
the tragedy, as well as the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the
Motherland, was commemorated with a minute of silence.
Chairman Farhad Abdullayev said that the Azerbaijani
people commemorate the 34th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, one of the
most terrible tragedies of the 20th century, with deep sadness and respect. This
mass massacre committed by the Armenian armed forces against the Azerbaijani
civilian population in the city of Khojaly in February 1992 remains a grave
international crime not only in our national history, but in the memory of
humanity as a whole. As a result of this targeted and systematic act of
violence carried out in the city of Khojaly, more than 600 civilians, including
women, children and the elderly, were brutally murdered, hundreds of people
were seriously injured, captured and taken hostage. During the tragedy, special
cruelty was demonstrated against people, grossly violating the fundamental
principles of international humanitarian law.
It was emphasized that the Khojaly tragedy at the
initiative of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev in 1994 was adopted by the
Milli Majlis (Parliament) and for the first time at the state level was given a
political and legal assessment of the Khojaly events as an act of genocide. This
position of the Great Leader has formed the basis of a consistent state policy
for conveying the truths of Khojaly to the international community.
It was also noted at the event that the esteemed
President, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, has carried out consistent and purposeful
activities to promote the Khojaly genocide at the international level, expose
those responsible for committing this crime, and restore historical justice. As
a result of the foreign policy pursued by our state, a number of countries and
international organizations, as well as many states in the United States,
recognize the Khojaly events as genocide.
At the same time, it was noted that First
Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva has put forward important initiatives to inform
the world community about the Khojaly tragedy. Successful projects initiated by
Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva serve to spread
Khojaly truths widely in the international information space and preserve the
memory of the victims of the genocide.
It was stated that this act of genocide is a clear
example of a massive violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
contrary to the main provisions of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, as well as the
Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The
Khojaly events are considered a grave international crime aimed at the
extermination of people based on ethnicity.
Chairman Farhad Abdullayev emphasized that the
liberation of our occupied lands by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces during the
44-day Patriotic War in 2020, under the leadership of the victorious Supreme
Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, and the restoration of our sovereignty and
territorial integrity created new realities. The process of restoration and
construction currently underway in the region demonstrates Azerbaijan's
strength, strategic vision, and management ability to the whole world. Within
the framework of the Great Return Program, large-scale infrastructure projects
are being implemented in the liberated lands, as well as in the city of
Khojaly, the return of former internally displaced persons to their homelands
is being ensured in stages, and life is being revived.
At the conclusion of the event, Chairman Farhad Abdullayev noted that the Khojaly genocide, in addition to being a historical memory, is a legal and moral lesson for future generations. This lesson reaffirms how necessary it is to uphold peace, mutual respect, and the rule of international law. The Azerbaijani people always hold high the memory of the heroic martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the defense of the territorial integrity of our country and the restoration of our sovereignty, as well as hundreds of our compatriots who were mercilessly murdered, and commemorate them with deep respect and honor.
