U.S. State of Nebraska condemns Khojaly Massacre
The governor of the US State of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, signed a proclamation condemning the Khojaly Massacre, which was committed by Armenia’s armed forces against the Azerbaijani civilians in 1992.
Along with the document, Governor Ricketts proclaimed February 26, 2016 as the “Khojaly Remembrance Day” in the State of Nebraska and urged all citizens “to take due note of the observance” , Azerbaijan’s Consulate General in Los Angeles reported on February 11.
This is the first official document on the Khojaly Massacre adopted in Nebraska. The proclamation was also signed by John Gale, Nebraska’s Secretary of the State.
Thus, Nebraska has become the 18th state in the US to condemn the Khojaly Massacre, as well as to recognize and honor its innocent victims.
The Armenian military, together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops stationed in Khankendi, committed genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly on February 25-26, 1992. Among those 613 killed in the massacre, there were 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people.
Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both. A total of 487 civilians became disabled as a result of the onslaught. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people still remains unknown.
The event became the largest massacre in the course of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
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