DAYS OF SORROW
AZERBAIJANI OMBUDSMAN APPEALS TO WORLD COMMUNITY OVER KHOJALY GENOCIDE
Baku, February 22 (AZERTAC). Azerbaijani ombudsman has sent a statement to the international organizations and foreign missions on the occasion of the 18th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide
The statement said 613 dwellers of the ruined Khojali city were murdered. The death toll included 106 women and 83 children. 56 men were slaughtered with extreme brutality. As a consequence of the bloody tragedy more than 1000 dwellers were wounded and maimed. 1275 men were taken hostages. The fundamental rights of Azerbaijanis were grossly violated. The deliberate and systematic destruction of a national group fall under the definition of genocide
National leader Heydar Aliyev unveiled the real nature of the Khojaly genocide. the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan gave a legal and political assessment to the Khojaly massacre. President Ilham Aliyev managed to have Armenia recognized as the aggressive side by the Council of Europe. OSCE Minsk group`s activity has not yet brought positive results.
The statement was sent to the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights, Council of Europe, OSCE, international and European ombudsmen, Asian Ombudsman Association, foreign embassies to Azerbaijan.