Azernews.Az

By Vugar Khalilov

MP Liudmyla Marchenko has urged the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry to initiate the process of recognizing Azerbaijan's Khojaly genocide committed by Armenian troops in Karabakh in February 1992, the Azerbaijani State Committee on Work with Diaspora has reported.

The relevant petition was signed by Liudmyla Marchenko, deputy chairman of the Ukrainian-Azerbaijani inter-parliamentary friendship group.

The petition stated that "the issue of recognizing the Khojaly genocide was raised in a letter received by Verkhovna Rada [parliament] signed by co-chairman of the Rada of Ukrainian Azerbaijanis, chairman of the United Diaspora of Ukrainian Azerbaijanis, Hikmat Javadov."

Marchenko stated that the events in Khojaly 30 years ago were clear signs of genocide and that MPs from numerous countries and international organizations have already confirmed that the Khojaly genocide was a crime against humanity.

"The recognition of the Khojaly tragedy as genocide will contribute to the restoration of historical justice and friendly relations between Ukraine and Azerbaijan," the petition said.

Members of the Ukrainian-Azerbaijani inter-parliamentary friendship group visited Azerbaijan in October 2021, with the support of the Azerbaijani parliament and the State Committee for Diaspora Work.

The Ukrainian deputies (who also visited Ganja and Aghdam cities) said in a joint statement on the visit's results that they were horrified by the consequences of Armenian terror and that the world should not remain indifferent to these terrorist acts.

In his recent interview during a visit to Ganja, President Ilham Aliyev said: “The war is over. Yes, we say there must be peace. But we must never forget the Armenian savagery and Armenian fascism. We must not forget the victims of Khojaly. We must never forget the victims of Ganja and the victims of our other cities.”

Armenia's armed units, supported by the former Soviet 366th motorized rifle regiment, committed genocide in Khojaly town and massacred the residents of this town on the night of February 25-26, 1992, attempting to flee the occupied town. As a result, the Armenian military servicemen killed 613 people, including 106 women, 63 children, and 70 elderly.

At the same time, 487 civilians were seriously injured and 1,275 people were taken hostage. The fate of 150 hostages, including 68 women and 26 children, is 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, eight families were completely destroyed, 25 children lost both parents and 130 children lost one parent.

Some experts call the Khojaly tragedy "Azerbaijani Srebrenitsa".

Relevant documents adopted by the parliaments of Mexico, Pakistan, the Czech Republic, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Honduras, Sudan, Guatemala and Djibouti recognized the Khojaly massacre as an act of genocide. The parliaments of Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Jordan, Slovenia, Scotland and Paraguay, as well as the executive and legislative bodies of 22 U.S. states have strongly condemned the Khojaly tragedy as a massacre. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation recognized Armenia as an aggressor and the Khojaly tragedy as genocide.

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