Azerbaijan marks 32nd anniversary of Khojaly genocide committed by Armenia

Today, February 26, 2024, marks 32 years since the Khojaly genocide. Mourning events dedicated to this sad date in the modern history of Azerbaijan will be held throughout the country and beyond. This year, for the first time since the full restoration of the country's territorial integrity, mourning events will be held in Khojaly itself.

As Caliber.Az reminds, the city of Khojaly has been under blockade since October 1991. On 30 October, road communication was stopped, and the only mode of transport was air transport. The last civilian helicopter flew to Khojaly on 28 January. Since 2 January there was no electricity supply to the town. The town lived and held on only thanks to the courage of the population and the heroism of its defenders. The defence around the town was organised by local militia, police and National Army fighters, armed mainly with small arms.

On the night of February 25-26, 1992, Armenian armed formations, supported by heavy equipment and personnel of the 366th motorized rifle regiment of the former Soviet army stationed in the town of Khankendi, seized the town of Khojaly. The assault on the town started after intense shelling from artillery and heavy military equipment, commencing on the evening of February 25. As a result, a fire broke out in the town. The population remaining in the town, some 2,500 people, were forced to leave their homes with the only hope of making their way towards the town of Aghdam, the district centre, which is the nearest predominantly Azerbaijani settlement.

Yet, this destiny was not meant to unfold. The Armenian armed groups massacred civilians with particular brutality.

As a result of this massacre, 613 people were killed, of whom:

children - 63;

women, 106,

70 elderly people.

8 families were killed;

25 children lost both parents,

130 children lost one parent.

487 people, including 76 children, were wounded;

people who were hostages - 1,275 people;

150 people were missing.

Based on the Azerbaijani Parliament’s (Milli Majlis) resolution of February 24, 1994, February 26 was declared the day of the Khojaly genocide.

On February 24, 2017, the Parliament of Azerbaijan once again confirmed that by the resolutions of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan of February 24, 1994, February 24, 1995, February 27, 2007 and February 24, 2012, the massacre committed against Azerbaijanis on the night of February 25 to 26, 1992 in the town of Khojaly by the military formations of the Republic of Armenia, Armenian armed detachments in Nagorno-Karabakh and the 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the former Soviet Army was considered a crime of genocide.

Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, has recently noted on his page on social network X that Armenia bears state responsibility for the Khojaly genocide and other illegal actions against Azerbaijan. "Armenia has still not apologised to the people and state of Azerbaijan for the 30-year military occupation and especially for the Khojaly genocide," Hajiyev wrote.