Baku, February 10, AZERTAC

25 years passed since the Khojaly tragedy took place. Witnesses of this bloody tragedy and those who lost relatives live both in Azerbaijan and neighbouring Georgia.

One of them is living in Marneuli, Georgia 90 years old Katan Alakparova. She and her family members told AZERTAC their sad memories about the Khojaly genocide.

Katan Alakparova was born in Khojaly, Azerbaijan in 1927. She is from famous Garabakh dynasty of Usubovs and Hasanovs.

Grandmother Katan says: “I moved from Azerbaijan to Georgia as a daughter-in-law. However, I never lost connection with Azerbaijan. It was February 1992. We used to receive various news from Azerbaijan and, especially, Nagorno Karabakh. My nephew Rovshan Hasanov was a military. As far as I heard, he was captivated and killed with special cruelty. My relatives who were taken hostage were tortured. Armenians gouged out eyes of several of them and pulled teeth of my brother with pliers.”

Grandmother Katan’s son-in-law Hagnet Childirli was that day in Agdam. He says: “On February 25th I reached Agdam. Since it was night I stayed with my relatives. Early in the morning I headed off to Khojaly to visit my relatives. However, around 4 am on February 26th I heard noise. People said Armenians attacked Khojaly. We placed them in cars and took to Agdam. Those who had weapons went forward to fight. We returned several times to move injured.”

H. Childirli says that he could not find any of his relatives among injured and killed people. However, he later learned that some of relatives were killed in Khojaly and some taken hostage. The child, whose name was mentioned in the archive materials and whose skin was cut from face belonged to her close relatives. One of those who relived the bitter tragedy of Khojaly is Latifa Shabanova. After one month from the bloody tragedy she came to Agdam to find relatives during the exchange of PoWs and hostages.

L.Shabanova says: “I could not recognize my close relative Ali. He could hardly speak. We later learned that Armenians pulled his teeth with pliers. He said that many of our relatives were brutally killed there. But we could not learn anything about our military son Rovshan Hasanov. According to people, he was also killed with especial cruelty.”

Grandmother Katan’s daughter Gulnaz says: “After she learned her brother was killed, she had problems with eyes. She lately undergone an eye surgery, but still experience problems with hearing. My mother has a wish. She wants that Azerbaijani occupied territory be liberated and that she walks to Khojaly. I know it will be hard for her, but let out lands be liberated and our blood heroes not spilled in vain.”

Alim Babayev, who is a third year student of the Department Medicine of Tbilisi State University says that based on what he heard from his Grandmother, uncle and other heros, as well as news from the press he is well aware about Khojaly genocide.

He says: “We learned from History classes that war has its own laws. However, what Armenians committed in Khojaly does not fit any law or humanity.”

The little lady of the house named Aygun says:”Grandmother Katan sometimes cries and sometimes she teaches us to be on alert in order to know our enemies and friends.” Aygun says that as soon as Grandmother Katan wakes up she draws and composes poetry.