On the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of
the Khojaly tragedy, the Chairman, judges and staff of the Constitutional Court
of the Republic of Azerbaijan visited the Khojaly Genocide Monument erected in
memory of the victims of the tragedy, then a memorial event was held in the
Constitutional Court.
At the beginning of the event, the memory of the
victims of the genocide and our martyrs was honored with a minute of silence.
Opening the event, Chairman Farhad Abdullayev spoke
about the Khojaly tragedy and noted that this genocide, committed against the
Azerbaijani people with unimaginable cruelty and inhumane methods, is an act of
barbarity in the history of mankind and a grave crime against humanity.
The Chairman stated that the general assessment of the
causes and consequences of the war unleashed by Armenia against Azerbaijan, as
well as all the available facts of the tragedy in Khojaly convincingly prove
that this genocide was not an ordinary and random act, but was part of
Armenia’s systemic policy of violence.
It was emphasized that the crimes against humanity
committed by Armenia against the backdrop of ongoing aggression against the
Republic of Azerbaijan are a gross violation of human rights and international
humanitarian law, in particular the 1949 Geneva Convention and a number of
other conventions.
It was noted that this terrible genocide, which took
place before the eyes of the entire world, was given a political and legal
assessment only after the return to power of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, who
took constant steps to convey the truth about Khojaly to the world and the
international community, as well as to provide an objective assessment of this
genocide. Currently, exposing the perpetrators of this genocide and widely
informing the international community is defined as one of the main directions
of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy.
As a result of the exceptional merits and hard work of
the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev, it was possible
to convey to the world community the historical realities of deportations,
genocides, terror, inhuman atrocities and other crimes committed against our
people, and to ensure an objective and fair attitude towards them at the
international level. Recognition of the Khojaly massacre by world powers,
perpetuation of the memory of the victims of the tragedy, strengthening the
social protection of their family members and loved ones are always at the
center of attention of the country's leadership.
The work done in this direction by the First
Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva deserves
high praise. Under her leadership, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation carries out
multi-systemic and consistent activities to convey to the world community the
facts about the Khojaly genocide, one of the greatest tragedies of humanity.
The international campaign “Justice for Khojaly!”,
initiated by Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva, is
being successfully implemented in many countries around the world, paying
special attention to the moral and political-legal recognition of the tragedy. As
a result of this campaign, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation recognized
the monstrous acts committed by Armenians in Khojaly as a “massive crime
against humanity” and called on member states to give the necessary political
and legal assessment to this tragedy.
It was emphasized that as a result of the great
Victory of our valiant army in the Patriotic War under the leadership of the
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the
Armed Forces Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the liberation of our occupied lands put an end
to thirty years of occupation and injustice, the territorial integrity of our
republic was restored, and the supremacy of international law was ensured.
The Chairman noted that as a result of local
anti-terrorist measures carried out by the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan in
Karabakh, the complete clearing of the city of Khojaly from military units of
the Armenian armed forces located in Karabakh, and the hoisting of the tricolor
flag of Azerbaijan by the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Mr. Ilham
Aliyev in Khojaly proved that the shed blood of the victims of the genocide was
not in vain and revenge was accomplished.
It was noted that construction and restoration work is
currently underway at a rapid pace in Khojaly. Formerly displaced families are
returning to their original lands, which are provided with modern housing, and
the city's infrastructure is being restored. With the support of the state,
this native land, whose soil was once watered with blood, is now being revived
step by step, inch by inch.
It was reported to those present that on February 19,
the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev got acquainted
with the work being carried out to restore private houses and infrastructure in
the village of Ballicha in the Khojaly region, and then met with a group of
residents who moved to the village.
It was noted that in an open court hearing in a
criminal case on crimes against peace and humanity, war crimes, including
waging an aggressive war, genocide, forced displacement of the population,
persecution, torture, military robbery and other illegal actions against the
Azerbaijani people in the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic"
created in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, there are 15 people accused
of crimes committed by the armed forces of Armenia. Years later, the trial of
criminals of Armenian origin under Azerbaijani law is a sign of the restoration
of law and justice.
At the end of the event, the Chairman emphasized that the Azerbaijani people always cherish the memory of the heroes who gave their lives for the territorial integrity of our lands, as well as hundreds of our compatriots who died in the battles for independence, and honor their memory with respect.
