(MENAFN- Trend News Agency ) Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 22
Trend:
A group of Estonian MPs expressed condolences to the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy, said the message posted on the website of the Estonian parliament.
'We share the pain of the people of Azerbaijan caused by the Khojaly genocide, during which more than 600 innocent civilians, including many children, women and the elderly were murdered,' the message said.
'We strongly condemn the perpetrators and their criminal, inhumane acts committed against Azerbaijani civilians in the night of 25 to 26 February 1992 during the occupation of Khojaly, which are nothing short of a crime against humanity,' the message said. 'The perpetrators of this genocide must be prosecuted.'
'We express our support for the efforts of the Republic of Azerbaijan aimed at restoring the country's territorial integrity,' the message said. 'A peaceful solution of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an important factor for the development of the entire region.'
On Feb. 25-26, 1992, the Armenian armed forces, together with the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops, stationed in Khankendi, committed an act of genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly. As many as 613 people, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people were killed in the massacre. Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people still remains unknown.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
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