Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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Baku Photography House has opened an exhibition "Khojaly - Wounded Souls", which showcases photographs captured by renown photojournalist Reza Deghati, Azernews reports.

The event was organized by Icherisheher State Historical and Architectural Reserve.

First, a moment of silence was observed in memory of the martyrs of the Khojaly genocide and Garabagh War.

During the event, an elegy dedicated to the martyrs was performed, and young people with hearing and speech impairments presented the poem "That Bloody Night" (O qanlı gecə) in sign language. Guests at the event were able to view the exhibition "Khojaly - Wounded Souls."

Reza Deghati has been photographing wars for over 40 years. His eyes and lens have witnessed much destruction and many lives shattered by war.

His photographs have graced the covers of prestigious publications like National Geographic, GEO, Time Photo, and others.

Through Deghati's lens, the world has seen some of the most tragic pages in the history of independent Azerbaijan: the tragedy of January 20th, the genocide of Azerbaijanis in Khojaly, the defense of Shusha against Armenian terrorists, refugee and displaced persons camps, and much more.

According to Deghati, he has witnessed many wars, but what he learned about Khojaly will forever remain in his memory as one of the most brutal events in human history.

Those who spoke at the event, including the Chairman of the Board of Icherisheher State Historical and Architectural Reserve Rufat Mahmud, the Chairman of the Sabail district branch of the New Azerbaijan Party Mukhtar Naghiyev, the Advisor to the Chairman of the Social Services Agency Maftuna Ismaylova, and the Chairman of the Icherisheher Elders Council Aliheydar Dadashov, noted that it has been 33 years since the Khojaly genocide committed by Armenia during a long-standing policy of ethnic cleansing, hatred, and genocide against the Azerbaijani people, which has become one of the bloodiest pages in human history.

This tragedy has left a deep mark in the memory of the Azerbaijani people. It was emphasized that during the 44-day Patriotic War under the leadership of the Victorious Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev, thanks to the heroism of our glorious army and the unity of the people, the Azerbaijani flag was raised in Garabagh, and the blood of all our martyrs, including the Khojaly victims, was avenged on the battlefield, bringing life back to Khojaly and all Azerbaijan's territories liberated from occupation.

On the night of February 25-26, 1992, Armenian armed forces, supported by the 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the former Soviet Army, occupied the city of Khojaly, committing acts of genocide against the civilian population.

As a result of the genocide, which was perpetrated not only against the Azerbaijani people but against all humanity, 613 residents of Khojaly were brutally killed, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elderly people, and 5,379 residents of the city were forcibly displaced.

On the night of the tragedy, 1,275 civilians were taken captive, and the fate of 150 individuals, including 68 women and 26 children, remains unknown to this day.