Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb.27 / Trend /
Azerbaijani Embassy in Serbia held a ceremony commemorating the 19th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide. The event was attended by members of the Azerbaijani Culture Center in Belgrade and the Serbian-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, members of the Azerbaijani community living in Serbia, the Azerbaijani students, members of the Serbian public, Belgrade's Muslim community and the media outlets, the embassy said.
Speaking at the event, ambassador Eldar Hasanov said that the Khojaly genocide is one of the unforgettable, terrible and bloody events in Azerbaijan's history. Due to incredible cruelty this genocide act, committed against our people by the Armenian armed groups, can be put on a par with the tragedies in Khatyn, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, My Lai.
Hasanov said that Armenia is pursuing aggressive policy and the policy of ethnic cleansing against our country and people.
"Memory of the Khojaly genocide victims is commemorated in Azerbaijan, as well as our compatriots, residing in different countries and diaspora organizations," the ambassador said.
The chairman of Azerbaijani Culture Center in Belgrade, Zarifa Alizade, members of the Serbian-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, Azerbaijani students living and studying in Serbia shared their views about the Khojaly genocide at the event.
The website / www.justiceforkhojaly.org/, which plays a great role in informing public abput the policy of genocide carried out by Armenia against our people, was launched for remembrance of February 26 as the day of the Khojaly genocide and informing public.
Later the event participants watched a documentary about the horrors of Khojali genocide.
Press release prepared by the embassy in connection with the 19th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, was sent to the Serbian state and government authorities, the parliament, NGOs, embassies and international organizations operating in Serbia.
The Armenian military forces committed genocide in Khojaly on Feb. 26, 1992. More than 600 people were killed, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old men. A total of 1,000 civilians were disabled during the genocide. Eight families were annihilated, 130 children lost one parent, and 25 lost both. Additionally, 1,275 peaceful residents were taken hostage, while the fate of 150 remains unknown.