Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb.20 /Trend Life Vugar Imanov/
An exhibition of photographs of French photographer Frederique Lengaigne dedicated to Khojaly tragedy was opened at the Museum Center of Baku on the 20th anniversary of Khojaly tragedy.
Exhibition "The road leading from the Khojaly" is organized by the Europe - Azerbaijan Society.
Chairman of European Azerbaijan Society Taleh Heydarov spoke about the Khojaly tragedy in his opening remarks.
"Today the world is given legal assessment to this tragedy. The main goal of our society is to inform the world of the reality of the Khojaly tragedy and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as a whole. In this regard we have implemented special projects, and this exhibition is one of them" Heydarov said.
Heydarov noted that a book about the Khojaly tragedy will be presented in the UK in the near future.
"Unique photos of Lengaigne, who has become a witness of the events in Aghdam were presented at this exhibition for the first time. Thanks to the cooperation with her we have the opportunity to provide these unique photos to the Azerbaijani public after 20 years. This exhibition shows only part of the 300 photographs dedicated to this tragedy, which also are a document of the terrible events of those days" Heydarov added.
Heydarov noted that, these photo facts will also be brought to the world society during exhibitions in Brussels, Strasbourg and Paris.
Frederique Lengaigne, who was head of photo department of the Reuters Information Department in 1992, in turn, said: "First you try just doing your job, but then you think about the tragedy, and even think that you are guilty of that, you take a photograph of it all, but can not help people. We shot it for a foreign audience in 1992, but 20 years later, these photos returned for your history,"
Lengaigne said she was convinced of the courage of the people of this region during the three days she spent in Aghdam.
"You see the horror of Khojaly tragedy on these pictures of women, children and old people. We can't remain silence about the crimes. The truth about them to convey to the world should be informed of truth about the tragedy," the head of the Yaxud In Unum society Patrick Ata Despois said.
Prominent public figures of Azerbaijan, MPs and representatives of the diplomatic corps participated in the event.
Armenian armed forces with the help of the 366th motor-rifling regiment occupied Azerbaijan's Khojaly city and committed genocide, killing hundreds of innocent people because of their ethnic background on February 26, 1992. As a result, 613 people were savagely killed, 487 were injured, and 1,275 people were taken into hostage. The fates of many of them are still unknown. After the 366th motor-rifling regiment's withdrawal from Khankendi, a major part of the military equipment owned by this military unit was transferred to the Armenian separatists.
