BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 2. Commemorative events were organized in several Ukrainian cities to mark the 34th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, and the dear memory of the tragedy victims was deeply honored, a source in the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of Azerbaijan told Trend.
The compatriots and representatives of the local community gathered in front of the monument dedicated to the victims of the Holodomor in Kryvyi Rih city were given detailed information about the historical facts of the genocide and the atrocities committed against the civilian population. The speakers emphasized the importance of conveying the truths of Khojaly to the world community. The participants laid carnations in front of the memorial monument and expressed their deep respect and honor to the victims of both tragedies.
At the memorial event, initiated by the "Birlik" diaspora organization operating in the Odesa province, the dear memory of the victims of the Khojaly tragedy and all Azerbaijani martyrs was first commemorated with a minute of silence. The participants emphasized the importance of conveying the truth of Khojaly to the international community and said that it's the moral duty of every Azerbaijani not to forget this tragedy. The participants also noted that despite the passage of 34 years, the sadness and pain of that night have not been erased from the memory of the Azerbaijani people.
On the night from February 25-26, 1992, Armenian armed forces attacked Khojaly, which had been under blockade since October 1991, with its road and energy connections severed, and carried out mass atrocities against Azerbaijani civilians. The massacre was perpetrated with the assistance of the 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the former Soviet Armed Forces.
During the killings, 613 people were brutally murdered, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elderly persons. A total of 487 people sustained injuries of varying degrees, 1275 were taken captive and subjected to torture, eight families were annihilated, 130 children lost one parent, and 25 lost both parents. The fate of many hostages remains unknown.
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