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Khojaly genocide – our bloody memory !

Twenty-nine years have passed since the Khojaly genocide, which entered to the history as one of the most horrific acts of mass terror for its barbarism and cruelty against humanity. On the night of February 25-26, 1992, Khojaly genocide was committed in the city of Khojaly located in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh by Armenian armed forces, Armenian terrorist groups in Nagorno-Karabakh and personnel of the 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the former Soviet Army in Khankendi, Azerbaijan.

 

During the Khojaly genocide committed 29 years ago, heavy military equipment was used against the civilian population of the besieged city and the local population was killed with special cruelty. People trying to escape from the burning city were helpless, civilians were ambushed on the roads and in the woods and killed with special cruelty. This crime is a terrible genocide that violated the norms and principles of international law. As a result of this terrible crime against humanity, 613 civilians were killed, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 elderly people. At the same time, 487 civilians were seriously injured and 1,275 people were taken as hostages. The fates of 150 hostages, including 68 women and 26 children, are still unknown. During the genocide, 56 people were killed with special cruelty, people's heads were peeled off, various limbs were cut off, their eyes were removed, and pregnant women's bellies were pierced with bayonets. As a result, 8 families were completely destroyed, 25 children lost their both parents, 130 children lost one of their parents.

 

All these crimes were committed by Armenian military forces with special cruelty and unimaginable barbarism. According to the investigation materials on the occupation of Khojaly, the attacks were carried out by the 2nd Battalion of the 366th Regiment under the command of Major Oganyan Seyran Mushegovich, the 3rd Battalion under the command of Chief of Staff Yevgeny Nabokikh, 1st Battalion under the command of Chief of Staff Chitchyan Valery Isayevich and more than 50 Armenian officers and warrant officers serving in the regiment.

 

The Khojaly tragedy is a terrible manifestation of the policy of occupation, ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Armenian nationalists and their supporters against the Azerbaijani people. Another example of this policy pursued by Armenia is the Garadaghli tragedy. Thus, Garadagli village of Khojavend region, which fought heroically against the Armenian aggressors for 4 years, was occupied and burned on February 17, 1992, and genocide was committed against the civilian population. During the occupation 118 people were taken as hostages, 33 people were shot. Armenian executioners buried the dead and wounded in a well. Generally, 68 hostages were shot, but 50 of them were released with great difficulties. Of the hostages, 10 were women, 2 were schoolchildren. 18 hostages, including 5 women died after suffering from incurable wounds. As a result of the genocide committed by Armenia at the state level, 4 people from each of the two families were killed in Garadagli village, 43 families lost their heads of families and 146 children were orphaned. Of those killed during the Armenian armed forces' attacks on Garadaghli, 10 were women and 8 were school-age children. 91 people were killed in Garadagli village, one in 10 villagers. As a result of the occupation, 200 houses, a culture house, a secondary school building with 320 seats, a hospital with 25 beds, and other facilities, as well as historical, religious and cultural monuments belonging to Azerbaijanis and a cemetery were destroyed in the village. About 800 residents of the village were displaced.

 

Armenians committed the most insulting acts against the survivors. They skinned victims of the genocide, cut off their heads and other organs, removed the eyes of children and cut the bellies of pregnant women. All this confirms that Armenia is committing genocide against civilians in gross violation of the protocols of the Geneva Conventions and in violation of the rules of war.

 

The Khojaly and Garadaghli tragedies caused a moral shock to every Azerbaijani, and these events committed against the Azerbaijani people due to their national affiliation will always be remembered. After these events, Azerbaijan healed its wounds and our people were able to stand on their own feet. Our republic has always developed and the ground has been prepared for the liberation of our lands from occupation.

 

The Second Karabakh War, which began with the resolute will of our esteemed President, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, ended with a convincing victory of Azerbaijan. Under the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the brave Azerbaijani Army showed great courage and high combat readiness and liberated our lands, which had been occupied for almost 30 years during the 44-days Patriotic War. The executioners of the Khojaly genocide were among the enemy forces destroyed by the Azerbaijani army, which made history in this real war. Our army, which won a historic victory, avenged the innocent victims of this massacre. The souls of all our martyrs who died for Khojaly, Garadaghli, as well as for Karabakh, found eternal peace. Karabakh is Azerbaijan !