“The tragedy of the 20th century, the Khojaly Genocide, was the result of the criminal policy of Armenia. This terrible tragedy is one of the heaviest crimes committed not only against the people of Azerbaijan but also against humanity. Great leader Heydar Aliyev also mentioned that "this merciless and cruel act of genocide entered the history of mankind as one of the most terrifying mass terrorist acts."
This statement was made by MP Konul Nurullayeva while talking to Ednews on the 31st anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.
She noted that Armenia committed this genocide 31 years ago by grossly violating the norms and principles of international and humanitarian law.
“Thus, according to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted by the UN General Assembly, "genocide" means further actions with the intention of the complete or partial destruction of any national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. The infliction of serious physical injuries and mental disorders on the members of such a group and the deliberate creation of living conditions calculated for the complete or partial destruction of any such group are also crimes of genocide.
In Khojaly, all criminal acts were committed consciously and with premeditation. As a result of the official investigation conducted in Azerbaijan, according to international law, most of the elements of the crime of genocide exist in relation to the attacks against the civilian population in Khojaly. 31 years ago, 613 civilians, including 106 women, 63 children, and 70 elderly people, were killed in Khojaly; 1275 residents were taken hostage; and the fate of 150 people still remains unknown. 8 families were completely destroyed, 25 children lost both parents, and 130 children lost one parent. 56 people were killed with special cruelty.”
The deputy also noted that the killings were also documented by "Human Rights Watch" and "Memorial," human rights organizations.
“Representatives of the international mass media who came to the scene were horrified by what they saw. It was one of the most terrible tragedies of the 20th century. The authors of this brutality were Armenians. What happened in Khojaly was no different from the Holocaust, which left a deep mark in world history as a mass killing of civilians. It is no coincidence that the ex-president of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan, admitted to a British journalist in one of his interviews: "Until Khojaly, Azerbaijanis thought that they could joke with us. It seemed to them that Armenians could not raise a hand against the civilian population. We had to break this stereotype. And we did it." This confession can be noted as one of the facts confirming that the crime against humanity that happened in Khojaly was deliberate and purposeful.”
K.Nurullayeva emphasized that for years, Armenia has been trying to distort the facts about Khojaly and deceive the international community.
“However, as a result of the systematic work carried out by Azerbaijan, the world now knows what the real truth is. The "Justice to Khojaly" campaign, authored by Leyla Aliyeva, the vice president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, which started in 2008, operates effectively in many countries. 100 thousand people and 115 organizations support the campaign.
The strategic goals of the "Justice to Khojaly" campaign are the recognition of the genocide by the world community and its legal and political assessment. The people responsible for the commission of the respective crimes are required to be punished. Indeed, the atrocities in Khojaly cannot be justified by anything in the eyes of the world community.
As a result of the systematic work carried out in the direction of worldwide recognition of the Khojaly genocide, the genocide was recognized in parliamentary acts adopted in many countries. Relevant parliamentary resolutions have been adopted by the legislative bodies of seventeen countries. The Khojaly genocide has been recognized by the legislative bodies and gubernatorial proclamations of more than 30 US states. In the Final Declaration adopted at the 12th session of the OIC Islamic Summit Conference held in Cairo in February 2013, member states are called to make necessary efforts towards the recognition of the Khojaly genocide. In its decision dated April 22, 2010, the European Court of Human Rights defined the massacre of the civilian population of Khojaly, consisting of Azerbaijanis, as "particularly serious acts that can be considered as war crimes or crimes against humanity."
In the end, the MP said that 28 years after the genocide, in the 2020 Patriotic War, the Azerbaijani Army created a new reality by liberating our lands that had been occupied for 30 years.
“In the 44-day war, our heroic army, under the leadership of the Supreme Commander, avenged the victims of the Khojaly tragedy, and the blood of our martyrs did not remain on the ground. The Azerbaijani people will never forget this genocide, occupation and ethnic cleansing policy. The "Justice for Khojaly" campaign will continue until the criminals are punished.”
Ednews
