The Khojaly genocide: Tragedy of the 20th century

Twenty-three years have passed since the genocide committed in Khojaly. Backed by the 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the Soviet Army, Armenian armed forces occupied the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly and slaughtered civilians on the night of Feb. 25-26, 1992. During this bloody action, pitiless violence was inflicted on the peaceful population, 613 people were killed, corpses were desecrated and 1,275 people were taken hostage, 150 are still missing to this day. Among those killed were 63 children, 106 women and 70 elderly people.

The Azerbaijani government has been working consistently in order to bring to the international community the truth about the Khojaly genocide that was committed by Armenian separatists and to secure the recognition of this genocide in the international arena. On May 8 2008, by the initiative of Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva, the general coordinator for Intercultural Dialogue of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Youth Forum on Intercultural Dialogue, Justice for Khojaly - an international information campaign - was initiated. After its inception, the first event within the framework of the campaign was the exhibition of photographs taken by children in connection with the Khojaly genocide. In May 2009 at the 36th ministerial conference of Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the ICO, the ministers fully supported the Justice for Khojaly campaign of the Youth Forum and it was included in the final resolution, and member countries were called to participate actively in the campaign. The campaign has been serving as a bridge between numerous institutions of civil society as well as youth and diaspora organizations in helping to convey the actions of those who played a role in conducting the Khojaly genocide ever since.

In the words of President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan: "The reality of this crime, hidden by the lies and falsifications of the Armenian propaganda machine are already being unmasked and the international public are beginning to recognize the truth about Khojaly," which should give a general idea regarding the formal recognition of Khojaly as genocide. Many activists and lobbyists among Azerbaijani diaspora communities have pushed for formal recognition of the Khojaly genocide from various governments around the world. Nine countries and several U.S. states - Oklahoma, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Connecticut, Indiana, California, Massachusetts, Texas, New Jersey, Georgia, Maine, New Mexico and Arkansas - have adopted resolutions acknowledging this tragedy as a bona fide historical event, a genocide. The countries include Pakistan, Mexico, Czech Republic, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jordan, Peru, Colombia, Honduras and Sudan. In addition to that, the OIC is the first international organization to recognize the Khojaly genocide and its Parliamentary Union regarded this crime as a massive crime against humanity and called upon its member states to give this tragedy a corresponding political-legal assessment.

The Khojaly genocide also sheds a light on the unshakable bond between Turkey and Azerbaijan. As President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has stressed on numerous occasions, the 1992 tragedy links Turkey and Azerbaijan even more closely, and what was perpetrated in Khojaly is a compelling piece of evidence of why the Armenian occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory must come to an end. The victims of the Khojaly genocide will remain forever in the hearts of the Azerbaijani people, and we are confident that the perpetrators of this heinous crime will be brought to justice. Let their souls rest in peace.