BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 25. The commemorative event marking the 31st anniversary of the Khojaly genocide has taken place in Paris, Trend reports.
The event was held with the joint organizational support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, and the Azerbaijani embassy in France.
Ambassador of Azerbaijan to France Leyla Abdullayeva, Permanent Representative to UNESCO Elman Abdullayev, Head of the Azerbaijan-France Working Group on Inter-Parliamentary Relations, Director of Department of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, MP Soltan Mammadov delivered speeches during the event held at the Cultural Center of the Azerbaijani embassy in France. They stressed that the Khojaly genocide became the bloodiest chapter in the history of armed conflict unleashed by Armenia against Azerbaijan.
Ambassador Abdullayeva stated that this tragic event was a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law principles. The diplomat cited articles published in the international media outlets, which show the brutality of Armenians during the Khojaly genocide.
Comparing the Khojaly genocide with the Oradour-sur-Glan massacre in France, Abdullayeva said that these events will always remain the history of mankind as the worst tragedies ever.
The "Justice for Khojaly!" international campaign has been launched since 2008, following the initiative of Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva. Thanks to this campaign, the parliaments of 17 countries, 30 US states, and two international organizations recognized the Khojaly genocide.
"Hopefully, the French authorities will also recognize this massacre perpetrated by Armenians against civilians. Justice cannot be restored without punishing criminals. We demand justice, not revenge," Abdullayeva stressed.
MP Mammadov noted that the crime of genocide committed against Azerbaijanis on the night of February 25-26, 1992 has been proved, based on facts and evidence. He outlined that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) assessed the massacre of Khojaly's civilian population as "war crimes or crimes against humanity." Mammadov also underscored the special role of the "Justice for Khojaly!" campaign in recognition of this tragedy on a global scale.
Elman Abdullayev, drawing attention to the ethnic cleansing policy of the Armenian armed forces against Azerbaijanis, added that building a future free from hatred and discrimination is the moral duty of everyone. Noting that Khojaly tragedy left a deep mark in the history of Azerbaijan, Abdullayev said that those who committed the Khojaly genocide should be brought to justice.
The photo exhibition of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation about the Khojaly genocide clearly demonstrated the inhumanity of the Armenian invaders to the event participants.
The event continued with a concert program dedicated to the Khojaly victims' memory. Honored Artist, Tar player Sahib Pashazade, Azerbaijani violinist Sabina Rakcheeva, musical group of French composer Pierre Thilloy performed works by Fikrat Amirov, Gara Garayev, Khayyam Mirzazada, and foreign composers.
The concert also featured Thilloy's composition "Khojaly 613", dedicated to this tragedy.
Ambassadors accredited to France, permanent representatives to UNESCO, Turkish Ambassador to France Ali Oner, Permanent Representative of Türkiye to UNESCO Gulnur Aybet, other diplomats, representatives of the local public and the Azerbaijani community took part in the event.
