24.02.2022

On February 24, 2022 a commemorative event was held in the Constitutional Court in connection with the Khojaly tragedy, one of the worst pages in the history of Azerbaijan.

First, the memory of the Shekhids of the Khojaly genocide was honored with a minute of silence.

Opening the event, Chairman of Constitutional Court Farhad Abdullayev noted that the Khojaly massacre is part of Armenia's long-planned policy of ethnic cleansing and aggression against Azerbaijan. The political and military leadership of Armenia of that time is responsible for the genocide, and there is no statute of limitations for this act.

As noted in the Order signed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in connection with the thirtieth anniversary of the Khojaly Genocide, on the night of 25-26 February 1992, the armed forces of Armenia, with the participation of the personnel of the 366^th motorized rifle regiment of the former Soviet Army garrisoned in the city of Khankendi, flagrantly violated the norms and principles of international law, attacked the city of Khojaly, using unprecedented brutality against civilians. During the Khojaly genocide, 613 people, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 old people, were killed with unimaginable cruelty due to the fact that they were Azerbaijanis, 487 civilians were seriously injured, 1,275 people were taken hostage.

The Chairman said that every year there were many events around the world dedicated to the tragedy. On January 28, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed the Order on the thirtieth anniversary of the Khojaly Genocide.

It was noted that the Khojaly genocide went down in the history of Azerbaijan as one of the worst and most tragic pages. Khojaly was a settlement that reflected the historical and cultural traditions of Azerbaijan from ancient times to modern times. The destruction of cultural monuments during the Armenian occupation and the destruction of the Khojaly cemetery, one of the oldest cemeteries in the world, is a clear example of Armenian vandalism, as well as an act of violence against world culture.

Chairman emphasized that the political and legal assessment of Khojaly genocide, the bloodiest pages in the history of the Azerbaijani people was given only after the return of the national leader Heydar Aliyev to power and only by initiative of great leader on February 24, 1994 the Parliament adopted resolution “On the day of Khojaly Genocide”.

It was noted that mass killings committed against Azerbaijanis in Khojaly, as well as in a number of other settlements, torture of prisoners and hostages are currently being investigated by law enforcement agencies of the country, petitions have been submitted to international courts, and other necessary measures are being taken to identify and prosecute other persons involved in organizing and committing these crimes in accordance with current legislation.

It was emphasized that President Ilham Aliyev constantly focuses on bringing to the world community the act of massacre and its recognition, perpetuating the memory of the victims of the tragedy, strengthening social protection of family members and close victims of the tragedy.

The Chairman specify the important projects carried out by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation to draw attention to the Khojaly genocide, emphasizing the unsurpassed merits of the First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva in this area. It was noted that as a result of this successful activity, a number of countries, more than 20 US states, as well as international organizations decided to recognize the Khojaly massacre as an act of genocide. Thanks to these efforts, the world community has become more informed about the Khojaly tragedy. Currently, the Khojaly genocide is recognized by a number of countries, and the tragedy has been given an international political assessment.

Farhad Abdullayev informed that the international campaign “Justice for Khojaly” launched on the initiative of the Vice President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva on May 8, 2008 played an important role in reporting the truth and recognizing the Khojaly genocide by the international community and world countries. Within the framework of this program, more than a hundred countries around the world conduct large-scale events each year.

The Chairman stressed that the great Victory of our valiant Army in the Patriotic War under the leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev will always occupy a special place in the history of our statehood. The liberation of our occupied lands and the territorial integrity of our State have also served to restore the rights of citizens enshrined in the Constitution, strengthening the foundations of the State.

The end of the thirty-year occupation had ensured the rule of international law. Although the Armenian side refused to comply with the UN Security Council resolutions adopted in 1993 on the immediate withdrawal of Armenian troops from the occupied territories, the valiant Azerbaijani Army, led by Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, courageously implemented these resolutions during the 44-day war, restoring the territorial integrity of our country. Thus, the blood of the Shekhids of the Khojaly tragedy did not remain revenged. The heroes of the 44-day Patriotic War avenged the Shekhids of the Khojaly genocide.

Noting the principle of “irreversibility of punishment for the crime committed” enshrined in the law, Farhad Abdullayev emphasized that those who committed mass killings of Azerbaijanis in Khojaly will be justly punished. He said that the Khojaly genocide should be given a legal assessment, and those responsible for this terrible tragedy should be punished.

At the end of the event, the chairman noted that it is the duty of every Azerbaijani to convey to the world public the truth about Khojaly. The Azerbaijani people will never forget the Khojaly tragedy.