KHOJALY VICTIMS REMEMBERED IN BRITISH IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM
London, 25 February (AZERTAC). Azerbaijan`s embassy to London has arranged a commemorative ceremony for victims of the Khojaly genocide in British Imperial War Museum, London.
The event brought together British government officials and members of Parliament, Liberal Democrat Mike Hancock, diplomats of foreign embassies accredited in London, journalists and members of the Azerbaijani and Turkish communities.
Addressing the event, Ambassador Fakhraddin Gurbanov called the Khojaly genocide “one of the bloody pages of the history of the Azerbaijani people.” The Ambassador cited toll of the dead and wounded in the tragedy, saying “613 innocent people - 106 women, 63 children and 70 the old - were killed; 1275 taken hostage, with 155 of them still missing; while 487, of them 76 underage people, were left disabled”.
“Fifty six of those killed were murdered with extreme brutality as some of them were burnt alive, others had their eyes put out and were scalped and beheaded; pregnant women were bayoneted in the stomach” he added.
The diplomat also expressed regret over the fact “the world community and international organizations have not yet given political and legal assessment to this vandalism.”
Tamara Daragadze, an investigator on South Caucasus, described the Khojaly tragedy as “the crime not only against the people of Azerbaijan, but also the whole humanity and universal values.” Daragadze echoed the Azeri Ambassador`s regret that “the tragedy has not been properly assessed by the international community and the world`s leading organizations”.
The commemorative ceremony also saw the launch of “Justice for Khojaly” campaign initiated by Leyla Aliyeva, coordinator on intercultural dialogue of OIC Youth Forum, and a Heydar Aliyev Foundation-made documentary on the genocide.
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