Azerbaijani president and first vice-president honour victims of Khojaly Genocide

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva have shared posts on their social media accounts marking the 34th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.

26 Fevral - Xocalı Soyqırımı Günü pic.twitter.com/iRXQUr7pog

— Ilham Aliyev (@presidentaz) February 25, 2026

In her post, Mehriban Aliyeva wrote: “The Khojaly genocide is a crime committed against all humanity, and will be etched forever in our memory. May Allah rest the souls of all our martyrs in peace.”

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Mehriban Aliyeva (@firstvicepresidentazerbaijan)

The Khojaly genocide, commemorated annually on February 26, represents one of the darkest chapters of the Karabakh conflict. On the night of February 25–26, 1992, Armenia’s armed forces attacked the town of Khojaly, which had been under siege since October 1991, with its road and energy connections cut off. The assault, carried out with the assistance of the former USSR’s 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment, resulted in mass atrocities against Azerbaijani civilians.

During the attack, 613 people were killed, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elderly individuals. Hundreds were severely injured, 1,275 were taken hostage and tortured, eight families were entirely wiped out, 130 children lost one parent, and 25 children lost both parents. The fate of many hostages remains unknown.