DAYS OF SORROW
KHOJALY GENOCIDE`s ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATED IN U.S.
Washington, February 26 (AZERTAC). As part of the Justice for Khojaly international campaign, a commemorative event to mark the genocide`s 18th anniversary was held in the U.S. George Washington University.
The event was addressed by Azeri ambassador Yashar Aliyev, board director of the Azerbaijani-American Council (AAC) Javid Huseynov and President of Azerbaijan Society of America Tomris Azeri.
They said on February 26, 1992 the town of Khojaly was occupied by Armenia with the help of the former USSR`s 366th motor rifle regiment, and followed with unprecedented brutalities against the civilian population.
Ambassador Aliyev noted events to honor the memory of the tragedy`s victims were being held today in 42 countries of the world.
Aliyev particularly stressed the Justice for Khojaly campaign, initiated by General Coordinator of the OIC Youth Foundation on Intercultural Dialogue Ms. Leyla Aliyeva, to raise the world community`s awareness of the tragedy.
The event was also attended by American rapper Toni Blackman who wrote and composed a song called “Justice for Khojaly”.
Blackman said when she heard about the Khojaly events she decided to deliver the truth about the tragedy to the world through music. No people has faced such a torture and injustice, she underlined.
The event participants saw a documentary prepared by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation featuring the tragedy and the Justice for Khojaly rap manifest.
Events to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide were held in California and New York, as well.
As a result of the Khojaly events, 613 innocent and unarmed people were killed by the Armenian aggressors. Among them were 106 women, 83 children, 56 people were killed with special brutality, 8 families were totally exterminated, 25 children were totally, and 130 children were partly orphaned, 476 people became disabled persons (of them 76 were minors), 1275 people were taken hostage and even though afterwards most of the hostages were released from captivity, the fate of 150 of them are still unknown. The town itself was leveled to the ground.