Rebuilt Tazabina village welcomes returnees in Azerbaijan's Khojaly Families receive keys to new homes/ PHOTO / UPDATED

The village of Tazabina in Azerbaijan’s Khojaly district has welcomed a new group of returnees, with keys to their newly constructed homes ceremoniously handed over to them.

The handover ceremony, marked by an atmosphere of hope and renewal, was attended by dignitaries including representatives of the Special Presidential Envoy in the city of Khankandi, as well as officials from the Aghdara and Khojaly districts and the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

At this stage, 12 families, totaling 55 individuals, have been resettled in Tazabina, marking the latest phase in the ongoing restoration of the village. This recent group brings the cumulative number of families who have returned to Tazabina to 95, encompassing 423 residents.

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Another group of former internally displaced persons has returned to the village of Tazabina in Khojaly district, under Azerbaijan’s ongoing Great Return program.

A total of 12 families, comprising 55 individuals, have been relocated to the village in the latest phase of resettlement, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

With this new group, the overall number of families resettled in Tazabina has risen to 95, bringing the total population of returnees to 423.

The resettlement initiative forms part of Azerbaijan’s broader effort to restore liberated territories and facilitate the permanent return of residents who were displaced during the conflict.

The liberation of Khojaly stands as a pivotal moment in Azerbaijan's recent history, symbolizing the nation's resilience and commitment to justice. In February 1992, Armenian forces, with support from the 366th regiment, perpetrated a massacre in Khojaly, resulting in the deaths of 613 civilians, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elderly individuals. This atrocity, recognized by Azerbaijan as genocide, left deep scars on the national consciousness.​

Following the city's liberation in 2023, efforts to restore and commemorate Khojaly have intensified. President Ilham Aliyev has initiated the construction of a memorial complex to honor the victims and ensure the tragedy is never forgotten. Additionally, the "Justice for Khojaly" campaign, launched in 2008, continues to gain international traction, with several countries and US states acknowledging the massacre as a crime against humanity.

Azerbaijan's Great Return program, launched in 2022, aims to resettle approximately 140,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) by 2026 in territories liberated during the 2020 Karabakh war.

The initiative encompasses the reconstruction of 100 settlements, including the development of housing, schools, hospitals, and utility networks, with over $4.6 billion allocated between 2020 and 2023 and projections of $17.6 billion by 2030.

The second phase of the Great Return, scheduled for 2026 -2040, aims to achieve the comprehensive restoration and reintegration of all liberated territories.

By Vafa Guliyeva