Heydar Aliyev Center hosts book presentation on Khojaly genocide

By Azernews

Laman Ismayilova

The Heydar Aliyev Center has hosted a book presentation "613 Martyrs of Khojaly" ahead of the 31st anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.

The book is dedicated to the victims of the Khojaly genocide, committed by the Armenian armed forces on the night of February 25-26, 1992, Azernews reports.

Speaking at the book presentation, Author Durdana Aghayeva, emphasized that it had been published within the Justice for Khojaly International Awareness Campaign, launched in 2008, at the initiative of Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva.

The campaign aims to raise international public awareness of the Khojaly genocide.

The campaign's activities are also directed towards honoring the victims and keeping their memories alive, particularly by constantly informing the younger generations, supporting the survivors, and seeking ways to relieve their suffering.

Durdana Aghayeva stressed the importance of the book in terms of making the truth about the Khojaly genocide known to the international community, as well as to the Azerbaijani youth.

She outlined that the Khojaly genocide was one of the worst tragedies in the history of not only Azerbaijan but of all mankind.

Durdana Aghayeva is one of those who survived the horrors of that terrible night.

The Armenians held her hostage for eight days. She witnessed Armenian vandalism and was subjected to cruel torture.

However, the blood of martyrs did not remain unavenged. The 44-day second Karabakh war ended with the liberation of the occupied Azerbaijani territories from nearly 30-year-long Armenian occupation and the restoration of territorial integrity.

In their remarks, People's Writer Chingiz Abdullayev, eyewitnesses of the Khojaly tragedy, and military experts also delivered praised the historical merits of national leader Heydar Aliyev in conveying the truth about the Khojaly genocide to the international community. They underlined that only after the great leader's return to power, the Khojaly tragedy underwent political and legal assessment for the first time.

Upon the initiative of the national leader, on February 24, 1994, the Azerbaijani parliament adopted a resolution, according to which February 26 was declared the Day of the Khojaly genocide in Azerbaijan.

The book "613 Martyrs of Khojaly" tells about the bloodiest massacre committed against humanity in the XX century.

On the night of 25-26 February 1992, the Armenian armed forces attacked the civilian population of the besieged town of Khojaly with heavy military equipment, killing them with unprecedented brutality.

As a result of the crime, as many as 613 civil residents, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 old people were killed in the massacre, 1,000 people were injured, and 1,275 were taken hostage.

The book "613 Martyrs of Khojaly" also tells about how the city of Khojaly was in peacetime.

The book presentation was met with great interest.