Sabina Aliyeva, Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of Azerbaijan, issued a statement to international organizations on the occasion of the anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.

The statement was delivered at an event held at Garabagh University in Khankendi dedicated to commemorating the Khojaly genocide.

The statement reads: “Thirty-four years have passed since 26 February 1992, when a total of 613 peaceful and unarmed civilians, including 106 women, 63 children, and 70 elderly people, were intentionally murdered in Khojaly city by being subjected to severe torture on the grounds of ethnic identity.

The brutal killing of the civilian population in Khojaly city by the armed forces of Armenia, with the direct participation of the former USSR-backed 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment, solely on the basis of their Azerbaijani ethnicity, constituted an integral part of Armenia’s systematic and purposeful policy of genocide against Azerbaijanis.

The Khojaly genocide resulted in the complete destruction of eight families; 130 children lost one parent, 25 children lost both parents, and 1,275 civilians, including 68 women and 26 children, were taken captive, and subsequently, severe war crimes were committed.

This serious criminal act, encompassing elements of the crime of genocide, constitutes one of the tragic pages in the history of mankind and a gross violation of fundamental human rights and freedoms. These premeditated acts were intended to kill ethnic Azerbaijanis on the basis of their national identity, forcibly expel them from their ancestral lands, and instill fear and panic among the population.

As a result of the Khojaly genocide, the norms of international human rights and international humanitarian law were violated, including the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and the Geneva Conventions for the Protection of War Victims. Consequently, the rights to life, personal security, property, freedom from torture, and other fundamental human rights were seriously violated.

The Milli Majlis (Parliament) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, at the initiative of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, made the first political and legal assessment of the Khojaly genocide and declared 26 February as the Day of Commemoration of the Khojaly Genocide.

The “Justice for Khojaly” campaign, carried out consistently by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation to inform the world community about the Khojaly genocide and to ensure its legal and political recognition, is of great importance in raising international awareness of this act of genocide and in the restoration of justice.

Following the Patriotic War and the local counter-terrorism operation, reconstruction works are being rapidly carried out in the territories liberated from occupation, including Khojaly city, and residents are returning to their native lands.

During the restoration and reconstruction works in those territories, mass graves were discovered, and the remains of individuals who had been tortured and killed were identified and buried. These facts constitute undeniable evidence of the Khojaly genocide and the commission of serious war crimes.

A number of individuals who participated in the Khojaly genocide and other crimes committed against our people were apprehended during the measures carried out following the local counter-terrorism operation, and they are being tried in accordance with international and national legal frameworks.

I deeply respect the memory of the victims of the Khojaly genocide and urge international organizations and the world community to take decisive measures for the legal recognition of this crime of genocide, one of the bloody massacres perpetrated in the 20th century, and to bring all persons responsible for this crime to justice.”