Azerbaijan`s Constitutional Court has held a commemorative event on the 20th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.
The event started with a minute of silence for victims of the Khojaly tragedy, which was followed by the demonstration of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation-made film on the genocide.

In his speech, chairman of the Constitutional Court, Farhad Abdullayev, spoke of Armenians` crimes against the Azerbaijani people, particularly the Khojaly genocide, calling it “a bloody page of Azerbaijan’s recent history”. 
He said the atrocities and the bloody massacre committed by Armenians in Khojaly were the same as the genocide crimes condemned by international conventions. 

“In one night, Armenian armed groups with the assistance of the Khankendi-based 366th motorized infantry regiment of the former Soviet army committed a bloody massacre of Azerbaijanis, killing 613 people, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elders, while 1275 people were taken hostage and 155 are still missing.”
Abdullayev said the political and legal assessment to the heinous massacre was given only with national leader Heydar Aliyev`s returning to power.

“In 1994 the Milli Majlis gave a political and legal assessment to the Khojaly genocide, and February 26 was declared the Day of the Khojaly genocide,” he added.

The chairman of the Constitutional Court said “President Ilham Aliyev, who is successfully continuing the national leader`s policy, attaches a particular emphasis to immortalizing the Khojaly shahids, improving social conditions of the families and relatives of the tragedy`s victims”.

“As a result of these efforts a systemic work has been carried out in the last few years to increase the international community`s awareness of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in particular the Khojaly tragedy.”
“It`s no coincidence that commemorative events on the 20th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide have been held in more than 60 countries worldwide,” Abdullayev added.

He also stressed the Constitutional Court`s duties with respect to increasing the world`s awareness of the Khojaly massacre.
“Each of us must increase efforts towards making the truths of the Khojaly genocide and the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict known to more countries across the world,” the chairman of the Constitutional Court said.