POLITICS
Village of Skokie of US State of Illinois issues proclamation on 29th anniversary of Khojaly Massacre
![Village of Skokie of US State of Illinois issues proclamation on 29th anniversary of Khojaly Massacre](/files/2021/1/1200x630/161363702120353141_1200x630.jpg)
Washington, February 18, AZERTAC
Mayor of the Village of Skokie of the US State of Illinois George Van Dusen has issued a proclamation on the 29th anniversary of the Khojaly Massacre.
Sent to the members of the Azerbaijan Center of Midwest America and Azerbaijani American Community in Illinois, the proclamation reads:
“February 26, 2021, marks the 29th anniversary of the Khojaly Massacre in Azerbaijan, and the observance of the tragic date inspires reflection by individuals across the globe. On February 25 and 26, 1992, Armenian armed forces, supported and accompanied by armored vehicles of the Soviet/Russian 366th motorized rifle regiment, attacked and occupied the besieged town of Khojaly as part of the armored aggression and ethnic cleansing that had been taking place in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan since 1988. When the residents of this town attempted to flee the area, they were ambushed and fired on by the Armenian and Russian troops, resulting in the largest civilian massacre and war crime in all of Europe at the time. As a result of the genocidal act, of the approximately 6000 inhabitants of the town, 613 civilians were killed (including 106 women, 83 children, and 70 elderly), 150 “missing” (presumed dead), 487 were wounded, including 76 children and 1270 civilians were taken hostage. This tragic event, which was later called by experts and became known as “Azerbaijani Serebrenica”, is a sobering reminder of the terrible carnage that can be inflicted in wartime and the enduring need for greater understanding, communication, and tolerance among people the world over. The UN Security Council Resolutions 822 (1993), 853 (1993), 874 (1993) and 884 (1993) which call on Armenian forces to end the occupation of the territory of Azerbaijan, continue to be unfulfilled, the UN General Assembly, the European Parliament, the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the US Azeris Network, as well as the US State Department and the White House supported the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including its Nagorno-Karabakh region. Now, therefore, I, George Van Dusen, Mayor of the village of Skokie, do hereby proclaim that it recognizes February 26, 2021 as the 29th Anniversary of the Khojaly Massacre Commemoration Day”.