28 years have passed since the genocide committed by Armenians in the city of Khojaly, Azerbaijan.

On the night of February 25-26, 1992, the Armenian military forces, with the help of the Russian 366th motorized rifle regiment, occupied the city of Khojaly and committed genocide against the Azerbaijani civilians.

On February 25, 1992, Armenian armed forces attacked Khojaly with the help of armored vehicles and military personnel of the 366th motorized rifle regiment, stationed in Khankendi since the Soviet times. 2,500 residents of the besieged city moved towards Aghdam to escape. However, Armenians in ambush fired at civilians.

As a result of the bloodiest tragedy of the 20th century, 63 children, 106 women, 70 elderly people, 613 Khojaly residents were killed, 8 families were completely destroyed, 25 children lost both parents, 130 children lost one parent, 487 people, 76 of them children, were injured, 1275 people were taken prisoner. The fate of 150 hostages, including 68 women and 26 children, is still unknown.

According to official estimates, more than 140 million manat (about $ 170 million) was lost to the state and citizens of Azerbaijan due to the destruction and looting of state and private property in connection with the occupation of Khojaly by illegal Armenian armed forces.

A monument to the victims of the Khojaly genocide was erected in the Khatai district of Baku in 1993.

In 1994, on the initiative of national leader Heydar Aliyev, the Milli Majlis adopted a special resolution "On February 26 - the day of the Khojaly genocide." The document details the reasons of the incident and the culprits.

Since February 2009, the campaign “The justice for Khojaly” has been held on the initiative of Leyla Aliyeva, General Coordinator of the OIC Youth Foundation on Intercultural Dialogue of Islamic Conference Youth Forum. The purpose of the campaign is to inform the international community about the Khojaly tragedy, to provide a moral and political assessment of the tragedy in the international arena and to ensure its commemoration at the international level. The international coordination of the campaign is carried out through the website www.justiceforkhojaly.org.

The anniversary of the Khojaly genocide is sadly celebrated every year in Azerbaijan and many countries around the world. Every year, on February 26, Azerbaijani embassies and diaspora organizations organize commemorative ceremonies and conferences in the countries where they operate. At these events,

photo stands reflecting the atrocities committed by Armenians in Khojaly, documentaries, and books reflecting the realities of the genocide are exhibited.

It should be noted that the parliaments of 16 countries, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have already adopted a resolution recognizing the Khojaly genocide.

We respectfully commemorate the innocent victims of the Khojaly genocide, and we ask God to bless all our martyrs.

Public Relations Department
26.02.2020