BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 26. On February 26 at 5:00 PM Baku time, a moment of silence was observed across Azerbaijan to honor the victims of the Khojaly genocide, Trend reports.
Traffic was halted in the streets of Baku. The national flags of Azerbaijan were lowered in cities, towns, villages, and settlements, as well as at Azerbaijan's diplomatic missions abroad.
Thousands of people in Baku visited the memorial to the victims of the tragedy in the Khatai district, where they paid their respects to the martyrs by laying wreaths and carnations. Ceremonies, marches, flash mobs, and cultural events were held across the country and abroad in honor of the Khojaly genocide victims, including at government institutions, mosques, churches, and synagogues.
Meetings with genocide survivors and the families of the victims were organized in the temporary resettlement areas for the people of Khojaly. Memorial services were also held in the mosques of Shusha and Aghdam, in the cities of Khojaly, Khankendi, and other liberated areas, where the flag of Azerbaijan proudly flies.
Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the Khojaly genocide. On the night of February 25–26, 1992, Armenian armed forces, aided by the 366th regiment of the former Soviet army stationed in Khankendi, destroyed the city. During this brutal massacre, 613 people were killed, including 106 women, 63 children, and 70 elderly individuals. A total of 1,275 civilians were taken captive, and the fate of 150 people remains unknown. Eight families were completely wiped out, 25 children lost both parents, and 130 lost one parent.
