Azerbaijan, Baku, May 25/ Trend , J.Babayeva / The Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) supported the international campaign Justice for Khojali and urged the international community to recognize the tragedy.
This was reflected in the resolution adopted at the 36th meeting of the OIC Foreign Ministers.
International informational and agitation campaign Justice for Khojali was initiated by OIC Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation General Coordinator for Intercultural Dialogue Leyla Aliyeva and launched on May 8, 2008.
Within the campaign, a Web site (www.justiceforkhojaly.org) was created. The OIC intends to continue supporting the campaign to achieve the goal - unless the international community makes correct assessment on Khojali accidents.
"The campaign was supported by all 57 OIC member countries," said Secretary General of OIC Youth Forum Elshad Iskenderov. This is the success of the Azerbaijani diplomacy, said Iskenderov.
On the night of February 25, 1992, Armenian separatists seized the Khojali settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh. Within hours, over 600 unarmed Azerbaijani citizens were killed. Among them were 106 women and 83 children. The massacre continued for days, while the Armenian separatists killed their hostages and cut the heads off of Azerbaijani military personnel. A total of 487 people were left disabled and 1,275 people were taken prisoner. The fate of 150 people remains unknown.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts. Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
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