Azernews.Az

On February 25, an evening dedicated to the memory of the victims of the Khojaly genocide was held at the Heydar Aliyev Center, marking the 33rd anniversary of the tragedy.

Azernews reports that the event, organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, began with a moment of silence to honor the victims of the genocide.

The evening featured a performance by the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli, conducted and directed by People's Artist Fuad Ibrahimov. The orchestra performed works by Azerbaijani composers Arif Melikov, Azer Dadashov, Farhad Badalbayli, Fikret Amirov, Haji Khanmammadov, Rauf Aliyev, and Soltan Hajibeyov.

On the night of February 25-26, 1992, the Khojaly genocide was committed by Armenian armed forces with the participation of the 366th motorized infantry regiment of the former USSR. As a result, 613 Khojaly residents were killed, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elderly people.

The Heydar Aliyev Foundation has been carrying out a series of events to raise global awareness about the Khojaly genocide, one of the greatest tragedies of humanity. Since 2008, under the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the "Justice for Khojaly" international awareness campaign has been ongoing.

For the fifth consecutive year, the people of Azerbaijan are commemorating this horrific genocide in a different way. With the liberation of our occupied lands, which suffered from this terrifying terror, the souls of the victims of the genocide and other martyrs have found peace. In line with the instructions of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, within the framework of the Great Return program, the residents of Khojaly, who were once displaced from their homeland, are returning to the liberated Khojaly, bringing new life to the land that once bore the pain of the genocide.