Twelve members of the Lords and the Commons made a joint statement in connexion with the thirtieth anniversary of the genocide in Khojali.

In the first ever joint initiative of British MPs regarding the Khojali Tragedy, the authors of the statement extend their condolences to the people of Azerbaijan and to those of our compatriots who had lost their families and friends, and express their solidarity with our nation.

The British parliamentarians describe the Khojali Massacre, which stands out for the largest number of civilian casualties, as one of the most tragic pages in the newest history of Azerbaijan. They mention the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights dated 22 April 2010 putting the events in Khojali down as a war crime and a crime against humanity. They also underscore the need to reinforce the international humanitarian law in a bid to prevent recurrence of such calamities.

The statement welcomes the end to the conflict and expresses a hope that negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia will result in a complete normalisation of the bilateral relationship.

Also, the British MPs refer to the urges to demine the territories, restore the transport communication lines as well as delimit & demark the borders in the post-conflict period. In their turn, the members of the two Houses call on Her Majesty’s Government to contribute to fulfilling all those missions – especially, the said territories’ demining.

The Press and Public Relations Department  
The Milli Majlis