The Milli Majlis has sent appeals to leaders of foreign countries’ inter-parliamentary relations working groups and chairmen of parliamentary international committees as well as to international parliamentary organisations on the occasion of the 34^th anniversary of the Khojali Genocide.

It is emphasised in the appeals that this year, the people of Azerbaijan commemorate with deep sorrow the thirty-fourth anniversary of the Khojali Genocide – the brutal massacre of civilians in the settlement of Khojali committed by Armenia during the occupation of territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan, one of the gravest and horrible crimes against humanity in the XX century.

It is stated that 613 civilians including 63 children, 106 women and 70 elderly persons were killed atrociously because of their ethnicity during this genocide. 8 families were totally exterminated; 25 children lost both parents and 130 children each lost one parent. The victims were treated with unparalleled cruelty. Corpses were desecrated and some victims were burned alive.

The Khojali Genocide is declared in the appeals to constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights law as well as the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

It is further stated in the appeals that Restoration of our territorial integrity and sovereignty as a result of the 44-day Patriotic War and the local counter-terrorism measures in the autumn of 2020 and September of 2023 embody the unity and solidarity of our state and nation. Today, life has already returned to all the liberated territories including Khojali. And our people who now live on their native soil in peace and security will keep the memories of the Khojali Genocide victims alive forever.

It is emphasised also that it was precisely Azerbaijan led by President Ilham Aliyev that put forth the first initiative of beginning and advancing the peace process with Armenia, a process which resulted in the initialling of the ‘Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia’ in Washington, D.C., USA in August last year.

The appeals indicate that today’s de facto peace ambience between the two countries is being further strengthened through a number of confidence-building measures such as Azerbaijan’s lifting of all the restrictions on cargo transportation to Armenia, ensuring the exportation of oil products and dialogue as well as contacts between members of the parliaments and civil society representatives.

As emphasised in the appeals, efforts continue in view of the significance of international co‑operation, particularly the power of inter-parliamentary dialogue, towards raising awareness and achieving international recognition of the Khojali Genocide as well as bringing the perpetrators to justice, whilst the commemoration of this tragedy is not only an act of remembrance of its victims but also a call for preventing such crimes against humanity in the future.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis