(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 24. A commemorative
event marking the 31st anniversary of the Khojaly genocide
co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Embassy of
Azerbaijan has taken place in Italy, trend reports.
The event was attended by members of the Italian parliament,
state officials, public and political figures, representatives of
the diplomatic corps, local media representatives, and members of
the Azerbaijani community.
While delivering a speech at the event, Azerbaijani Ambassador
to Italy Rashad Aslanov noted that the Khojaly genocide was one of
the most serious crimes committed against the civilian population
during the Armenian military aggression against Azerbaijan 31 years
ago. The ambassador said that this massacre was a manifestation of
Armenia's ethnic cleansing policy, as well as stated that this
tragic event was a flagrant violation of international humanitarian
law principles.
Aslanov stressed that the memory of the war, genocide, and
anti-humanity crimes is also important in terms of ensuring the
punishment of perpetrators and preventing the repetition of such
atrocities. Noting that Azerbaijan managed to establish justice and
restore territorial integrity following the 2020 second Karabakh
war under President Ilham Aliyev's leadership, the ambassador
underscored the unwavering position of the country regarding a
legal and political assessment of the Khojaly genocide.
The ambassador pointed out that the 'Justice for Khojaly!'
international campaign initiated by the Vice-President of the
Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva made an important
contribution to the legal and political assessment of the crimes
committed in Khojaly.
Addressing the event, the representative of the Heydar Aliyev
Foundation Fidan Yusibova emphasized that the Khojaly genocide was
a crime committed not only against Azerbaijani compatriots but also
against humanity as a whole. The Khojaly massacre can't be
forgotten, this story is forever imprinted in the memory of the
blood of our people. This tragic event is a bloody page in radical
Armenian nationalists' ethnic cleansing policy against our
people.
She noted that making the truth about Khojaly known to the
international community has always remained a pivotal activity of
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. She emphasized the exceptional
merits of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, President of the
Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva in conveying the truth
about this heinous genocide to the world. The 'Justice for
Khojaly!' international campaign is primarily aimed at
disseminating the Khojaly facts at the international level and
achieving an objective assessment of the tragedy.
Yusibova added that the mentioned international campaign made a
considerable contribution to the recognition of the Khojaly
genocide abroad. The objective of the campaign is to inform the
international community about this tragedy, honor the memory of the
victims, and ensure that their memory will last forever. As a
result of the purposeful activities carried out as part of the
campaign, countries worldwide were briefed on the inhuman acts of
the Armenian terrorists. As of today, over 10 countries and the
Organization of Islamic Cooperation have adopted decisions and
resolutions recognizing the crimes committed by Armenians in
Khojaly.
Then, a 13-year-old representative of the Azerbaijani community
in Italy Ilduza Sadikhova presented to the event participants
attention the stories in Italian from the book 'They will never
grow up' dedicated to the Khojaly victims, authored by the genocide
witness Sariya Jafarova.
Honored artist of Azerbaijan, famous pianist Islam Manafov and
honored artist, conductor, composer, and pianist Turan Manafzade
performed works of Azerbaijani and world classics. In addition, the
work 'Khojaly' by the Azerbaijani pianist, laureate of
international competitions, conductor and composer Abuzar Manafzada
was also played.
The participants also got acquainted with a photo exhibition
dedicated to the 31st anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.
Comments
No comment