The Milli Majlis has sent appeals to Heads of inter-parliamentary liaison working groups and chairpersons of international committees of foreign parliaments as well as to international parliamentary organisations in connection with the 33^rd anniversary of the Khojali genocide. 

It is stated in the appeals that, on the night of 25 to 26 February 1992, the Armed Forces of Armenia assaulted the town of Khojali and razed it to the ground overnight. A total of 613 civilians, including 106 women, 63 children, and 70 elderly people, were brutally massacred because of their ethnic identity. Eight families were completely exterminated; 25 children lost both parents, while 130 lost one. The victims were subjected to unprecedented cruelty. A further 1,275 residents of Khojali were taken hostage. The fate of 150 people, including 68 women and 26 children, remains unknown to this day.

Whilst the organisers of this act of genocide were the political and state leadership of the Republic of Armenia, its direct perpetrators were servicemen of the Armenian Armed Forces, Armenian terrorist groups and the personnel of the 366^th Motor Rifle Regiment of the former Soviet Army stationed in Khankendi. 

As stressed in the appeals, the large-scale reconstruction and rehabilitation work is being carried out across all the liberated territories, including Khojali, following the end of the 30-year occupation and the restoration of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Like the residents of other regions returning to their homeland, the people of Khojali will live in their homes in peace and security. 

However, the victims of the Khojali Genocide are still waiting for justice to be served. Regrettably, Armenia declines to hold those responsible for this mass slaughter and other numerous war crimes accountable. Armenia’s inaction and its failure to take any measures against these violations of the law constitute a fragrant violation of international law. At the same time, it exacerbates a climate of impunity and poses a serious threat to the long-awaited peace and stability in the region.

It is emphasised in the communications that the Khojali Genocide is a crime that was committed not solely against the people of Azerbaijan but also against Humankind in its entirety. A resolute condemnation of the Genocide by the global community could play a serious part in averting such crimes in the future.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis