Twentieth anniversary of Khojaly massacre commemorated in London
Baku, February 24 (AZERTAC). The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS) has organized an event on the 20th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide which was attended by around 300 people from the UK and other countries.
The event participants were briefed on the Khojaly massacre, which ranks amongst the worst incidents of the conflict. They were told on the night of 25-26 February 1992, 613 civilian inhabitants of Khojaly, the second largest city in Nagorno-Karabakh, were brutally murdered by the Armenian armed groups with the direct involvement of the regiment No 366 of the former Soviet army. The death toll included 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people, in what became known as the killing fields of Khojaly.
Preceding the concert, Sabina Rakcheyeva, Arts and Cultural Advisor, TEAS, and Member of the European Cultural Parliament, said: “This event, in the heart of London, is to commemorate the victims of the Khojaly Massacre; a terrible tragedy in modern Azerbaijani history of a magnitude that should not be experienced by any country.”
Chris Heaton-Harris MP, Member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Azerbaijan, continued: “I have visited Azerbaijan twice, and can confirm that Baku is a beautiful city, bustling with energy. The UK has very strong links with the country that date back to World War I. My colleagues in the APPG for Azerbaijan and myself want to do all that is possible to bring about resolution to this conflict, which has continued for over 20 years.”
Lord Ahmad, also a Member of the Azerbaijan APPG, echoed these sentiments: “Today, we remember the 613 men, women and children who were victims of the Khojaly Massacre. We cannot and will not forget that so many innocent lives were lost. Their memory will never die, and we hope that the conflict that is impacting the country will be resolved. We appeal to the Armenian government to conform with international law, and return Azerbaijani territory.”
Tale Heydarov, Chairman and Founder, TEAS, concluded: “The Khojaly Massacre was a terrible crime, and the violence continues to this day. The perpetrators of the crime were never brought to justice. The occupied region of Nagorno-Karabakh was central to Azerbaijani culture, and many of the composers featured in tonight`s concert were born there. Now, people from the region are internally-displaced persons (IDPs) within their own country and the culture is at risk of being lost. It is hoped that tonight`s concert will draw attention to the Khojaly Massacre and stop any future recurrence of such tragedies.”
Following this, a short documentary film, produced by TEAS, was screened, including moving testimony from survivors of the Khojaly Massacre, Western scholars and UK journalists at the time, explaining why the West has failed to recognize and report this tragic event. The film also drew attention to the fact that the illegal occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven surrounding regions continues to this day, despite four UN Security Council resolutions being passed, instructing Armenia to withdraw its forces and end its illegal military occupation.
Following the film, a concert by the Orion Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas Collon and Sue Perkins, featured a range of reflective Western and Azerbaijani classical compositions, including Samuel Barber`s Adagio for Strings, Sir Edward Elgar`s Nimrod (from the Enigma Variations) and Gara Garayev`s Adagio (from the Seven Beauties Ballet). A particularly moving moment occurred when Sabina Rakcheyeva, the first Azerbaijani graduate from the Juilliard School in New York and Cultural Advisor to TEAS, performed the main theme to the Steven Spielberg film Schindler`s List by John Williams, preceded by her improvised piece entitled “Dua” (A Prayer).
The concert formed part of a series of commemorative events organised by TEAS, including the dedication of a new bench in Battersea Park and the planting of 613 trees in North-West London - one for each of the victims.
This event was an emotionally intense meditation on the enormity of the Khojaly Massacre. It served as a graphic reminder of this tragedy and the urgent need for international governmental pressure to be exerted to bring about a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
To view a short video of the evening, please visit this link: www.teas.eu/teas-tv
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