BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 27
Trend:
On the 30th anniversary of the Khojaly Genocide All American Khojaly Rally was held in Washington on Saturday, February 26 near the US Capitol building at the initiative of the members of Azerbaijan- New York Association, Trend reports with reference to State Committee for Work with Diaspora.
The Azerbaijanis, as well as the diaspora members of other friendly countries residing in different parts of the US took part in the crowded rally and rose Azerbaijani, Turkish and the US flags. Photos of the Khojaly victims and slogans such “Justice for Khojaly!”, “Recognize the Khojaly Genocide” “Don’t forget Khojaly” “Armenian leadership confessed war crimes” “63 children were killed in Khojaly”, “8 families were completely wiped out”, “30 years- search for justice”, “Peace in Karabakh!”, “Karabakh is Azerbaijan!” were demonstrated as well.
National anthems of Azerbaijan and the United States were played and the memory of the victims of the Khojaly genocide was commemorated with a minute of silence. The Rally was moderated by Farid Mammadov, head of the Azerbaijani Center of Midwest America, and Gunel Rallis, chairman of the Minnesota Azerbaijanis Association.
Ercan Yerdalanli, Head of “Azerbaijan Association of New York”, Yusif Babanli , co-founder of the US Azerbaijanis Network (USAN), Ali Asgarov, Director of Graduate Study in the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of North Carolina, Sevinj Mammadova, president of the US-Azerbaijan Scientists Association, Durdana Balakishiyeva, professor of the Southern Methodist University, Ahmad Obali, founder of GunAZ TV, Dr. Michael M. Gunter, professor of political science at Tennessee Technological University, Munavvar Vahabova, President of the American-Azerbaijani Women's Society, Diaspora activist John Taylor (Texas), Tarlan Ahmadov, chairman of the Azerbaijan Society of Maine, Esmira Bayramova, Chairman of the Florida-Azerbaijan Society , Diaspora activist Elman Karimov (Virginia), Irada Akhundova, President of the Houston-Baku Sister City Association, Shuhrat Temirov, US Representative of the World Union of Meskhetian Turks, Adika Igbal, ACCA member, head of the Azerbaijan Friendship Organization,Gunduz Tahirli ,Head of the “United Charities for Azerbaijan” Charity Fund, Hamid Azeri, director of Azerbaijan Culture Center of Northern California, Agil Suleymanov, an Azerbaijani musician living in the US and others delivered speeches at the Rally.
It was noted that the horrific genocide committed against Azerbaijanis in Khojaly by the Armenian armed forces is a crime against humanity and the perpetrators should be held accountable.
The speakers stressed the importance of bringing the organizers and ideologues of the genocide- Serzh Sargsyan, Robert Kocharyan, Seyran Ohanyan and Zori Balayan to the international criminal court like those, who committed various genocides in the Balkans.
Emphasizing that the Khojaly massacre falls under the category of genocide according to UN resolutions, our compatriots noted that 24 US states had already recognized the Khojaly Genocide. Azerbaijan, World Azerbaijanis and the Turkic world call on international community give fair legal treatment to Khojaly.
During the rally, our compatriots repeatedly voiced "Justice for Khojaly!" demand together.
At the end of the Khojaly Rally, Aga Dadashzadeh, an Azeri schoolboy from Minnesota, read a poem dedicated to the Khojaly Genocide.
In the end of the Rally, the slogans “Justice for Khojaly” “Karabakh is Azerbaijan” “Long Live Azerbaijan” were voiced under “Bayati Shiraz” Mugham.