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Akbar Novruz

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Ombudsman Sabina Aliyeva issued a statement on the 33rd anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, emphasizing its place in history as one of the bloodiest pages of human history and a result of Armenia’s long-term policy of ethnic cleansing, hatred, and genocide against Azerbaijanis, Azernews reports.

"On the night of February 25-26, 1992, the Armenian armed forces, with the support of the 366th motorized rifle regiment of the former Soviet army, occupied the city of Khojaly, committing the crime of genocide against the civilian population," she stated.

According to Aliyeva, this crime was not only against Azerbaijanis but against all humanity. She recalled that 613 residents of Khojaly, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elderly people, were brutally murdered, while 5,379 residents were forcibly expelled. The fate of 150 out of 1,275 hostages remains unknown, including 68 women and 26 children.

"When the Khojaly genocide was committed, the provisions of the Geneva Conventions 'On the Protection of War Victims', as well as the international conventions 'On the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide', 'Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment', and other fundamental human rights treaties, were grossly violated," Aliyeva stressed.

She noted that the first political and legal assessment of the Khojaly genocide was given by the Milli Majlis at the initiative of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, declaring February 26 as the Day of the Khojaly Genocide.

Aliyeva highlighted the ongoing 'Justice for Khojaly' campaign, which raises international awareness and seeks recognition of the genocide. "As a result of the campaign, this brutal massacre was condemned and assessed as genocide by the legislative bodies of 18 states, 24 U.S. states, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Organization of Turkic States," she said.

She also pointed to new evidence emerging from territories liberated after the Second Karabakh War, particularly mass graves discovered near the Askeran fortress in Khojaly, proving once again that Azerbaijanis were mercilessly killed by Armenian soldiers.

"I would like to note that despite our repeated appeals, Armenia refuses to take serious measures to determine the fate of about four thousand Azerbaijanis who went missing during the First Karabakh War, or to provide accurate information about the mass graves of those tortured and killed," she stated.

Aliyeva recalled statements by former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan, as well as Markar Melkonyan, the brother of international terrorist Monte Melkonyan, who documented the brutal crimes committed by Armenian forces. "The description of the crimes in Khojaly as 'heroic' in the book 'The Revival of Our Soul' by Armenian writer Zori Balayan shows that the ideology in Armenia is still built on hatred against other nations," she said.

She concluded by urging the international community to take action: "International organizations and world states should not remain indifferent to this crime of genocide. They must give a legal assessment to the Khojaly genocide and intensify efforts to ensure that the perpetrators receive the punishment they deserve."