Israel to mark anniversary of Hodjali tragedy

The information was provided by the deputy of the Milli Medjlis of Azerbaijan Yevda Abramov. He said the arrangement will be organized by the International Association Azerbaijan-Israel (AZIZ)

Y.Abramov announced that there is not a diplomatic representation of Azerbaijan in Israel so far and, therefore, all works for the conduction of the arrangement had been undertaken by AZIZ.

Y.Abramov did not rule out possible discussion of the Hodjali tragedy in Knesset (Parliament). "We have provided them with literature, devoted to the tragedy, and complete information on the issue", he added.

He announced that AZIZ had sent a letter to the Israeli Parliament requesting to discuss the Hodjali tragedy in Knesset. The Milli Medjlis deputies, elected from the Qarabagh region, are to visit Israel to make reports on the Hodjali tragedy and Nagorno Garabagh conflict in Knesset. The hearings will later be held on the said issues", the deputy noted.

At the same time, he said that the Israeli parliament is not going to adopt a decision on the recognition of the Hodjali genocide in the near future.

"The Hodjali genocide must first be recognized by the parliaments of Moslem and Turkish countries and then the countries close to Azerbaijan may include the said issue on the agenda. After that the parliament of Israel may also recognize the Hodjali genocide officially. It is early to demand the Israeli Parliament to accept the Hodjali tragedy as genocide", Abramov added.

In the night of February 25-26 of 1992 Armenian armed forces supported by the 366th rifle batallion of the former USSR, dislocated in the city of Khankendi, occupied Hodjali.

The occupation had been preceded by a crippling batter, initiated late on February 25. In the result the fire broke out in the city which was almost set ablaze by 5:00 a.m. February 26.

The population of the city, comprising nearly 2500 people, was obliged to leave their houses in a hope to get to Agdam, the regional center, which was the nearest points, inhabited mostly by Azerbaijanis.

Yet, the Armenian armed forced, supported by the Soviet batallion, inflicted reprisals against the peaceful citizens. The result was the following:

613 people killed including 63 children, 106 women, 70 elderly people.
8 families fully terminated.
130 children lost one of their parents
487 wounded including 76 children
1275 people taken hostages
150 people lost
The collosal damage to the government and the property of the citizens is estimated at 5 billion rubles (in prices as for April 1, 1992).

These figures inform about the most bloody tragedy of Nagorno Garabagh conflict, which started in February 1988 with illegal demands of the ethnic Armenians of the Nagorno Garabagh Autonomous Province on the annexation to the Armenian SSR, provoked by the open support of the ruling circles of the Armenian SSR and secret agreement and inertness of central powers of the Soviet Union.

/Day.Az/