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US Arizona state recognizes Khojaly genocide (PHOTO)

Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict Materials 26 February 2015 12:35 (UTC +04:00)
The US Arizona State Senate adopted a resolution on Feb.25, 2015 recognizing and condemning the Khojaly genocide, which was committed by Armenia against the Azerbaijani civilians in 1992.
US Arizona state recognizes Khojaly genocide (PHOTO)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb.26

Trend:

The US Arizona State Senate adopted a resolution on Feb.25, 2015 recognizing and condemning the Khojaly genocide, which was committed by Armenia against the Azerbaijani civilians in 1992.

The resolution was presented to Azerbaijan's Consul General in Los Angeles Nasimi Aghayev, who was present at the Senate Floor Session, Azerbaijan's Consulate General in Los Angeles told Trend.

The resolution said that on February 25 and 26, 1992, Armenian armed forces occupied the town of Khojaly in Azerbaijan and killed more than 600 civilians, wounded more than 1,000 civilians and captured more than 1,200 civilians.

"The Human Rights Watch called it the "largest massacre in the [Karabakh] conflict"; major United States and international news organizations reported about the killings with horror; and numerous governments around the world, as well as State Legislatures passed resolutions condemning the attack," said the document.

The resolution mentioned that the perpetrators of this carnage are still at large and have not been brought to justice yet.

"Military forces continue to occupy twenty percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the surrounding seven districts", the document said.

It also mentioned that resolutions condemning the occupation of Azerbaijan's territory by Armenian forces have been passed by the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly.

The document concludes by stating that the State Senate of Arizona honors the victims of the Khojaly tragedy, and recognizes February 26, 2015, as the 23rd anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy.

It is noteworthy that this is the first official document on the Khojaly genocide adopted by Arizona. Thus Arizona becomes the 16th US state to recognize and condemn the Khojaly genocide.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan 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.

On February 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 a result of the massacre, some 613 people were killed, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people. Eight families were totally exterminated, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both. A total of 487 civilians became disabled as a result of the onslaught. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 people remains unknown.

The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented the UN Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.

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