A memorial event dedicated to the Khojaly genocide was held at the Institute of Control Systems
25.02.2023 /An event dedicated to the 31rd anniversary of the Khojaly genocide was held at the Institute of Control Systems (ICS) of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The event was attended by the administration of the institute, heads of departments and laboratories, scientists and specialists.
The memory of the victims of the tragedy was first honored with a moment of silence, and a video clip of historic moments of the Khojaly genocide was demonstrated.
Opening the event, General Director of ICS, Academician Ali Abbasov said that the genocide committed by Armenian armed forces on the night from 25 to 26 February 1992 in the town of Khojaly with particular ruthlessness and cruelty, with the support of the 366th Motorized Infantry Regiment of the former USSR, was one of the gravest crimes not only against the Azerbaijani people, but also against humanity. Speaking about the historical roots of the tragedy, the academician noted that the Khojaly genocide was a continuation of two centuries of policies of occupation and ethnic cleansing carried out by the Armenian aggressors and their supporters against the Azerbaijani people. This terrible criminal act, which served the dream of creating a "Greater Armenia", was intended to intimidate the Azerbaijani people fighting for their national rights, to break their will to fight, to force them to accept the loss of their historical lands.
Speaking of the work done for the global recognition of the Khojaly genocide, the academician said that for a political and legal assessment of the tragedy on the initiative of great leader Heydar Aliyev the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan adopted a resolution on Khojaly Genocide Day in February 1994 and February 26 was declared the "Khojaly Genocide Day". In recent years, by the order of the head of state Ilham Aliyev local and international events are held to perpetuate the memory of Khojaly martyrs, and monuments have been erected in their honor in most countries of the world.
A.Abbasov talked in particular of the events held by Heydar Aliyev Foundation led by First Vice President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva to inform the world community of the facts and the international campaign "Justice for Khojaly" launched in 2008 on the initiative of Vice President of the Foundation Leyla Aliyeva. Stressing practical steps have been taken for years to expose the perpetrators, the scholar said the tragedy had been covered in press of Turkey, Israel, Italy, Indonesia, Ukraine, USA, Germany and Moldova over the past thirty-one years. He noted that such media outlets as Milliyyət, Washington Post, The Independent, The Times, Le Monde and others reflected Azerbaijan's righteous position.
At the end of his speech A. Abbasov said that the valiant Azerbaijani army led by Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev restored historical justice and avenged the victims of Khojaly genocide, as well as all martyrs who sacrificed their lives for their country, in the 44-day Second Karabakh War. Honoring the victims of the tragedy, the academician expressed confidence that the blessed memory of our martyrs will always live in the hearts of the Azerbaijani people.
Then Secretary of the Council of Young Scientists and Specialists (CYSS) of the ICS junior researcher Raiha Niyazova spoke. Speaking about the historical processes preceding the occupation of Azerbaijani lands, she said that the Khojaly genocide was the peak of the enemy's insidious policy. She pointed out that the purpose of committing the tragedy was, on the one hand, to remove a strategically important barrier for Azerbaijanis in the mountainous part of Karabakh, and on the other - to wipe Khojaly off the face of the earth once and for all.
Р. Niyazova spoke about the nuances of the references to the Khojaly tragedy in the Armenian sources and works of historians, brought to the attention of the participants of the event the cases when the enemy demonstrated its unjust position. She noted that the blockade of the town was not random. Khojaly was a settlement with ancient and rich culture, which played a role of a link between Aran and Nagorno-Karabakh. Although the perpetrators of the genocide, which was carried out with particular cruelty, aimed to erase this ancient settlement from the face of the earth through their insidious policy, they did not succeed in breaking the will of the Azerbaijani people to fight. R. Niyazova honored the memory of the victims of the tragedy.
Speaking at the end of the event, Doctor of Mathematics Ilgar Mammadov spoke about the historical causes of this terrible act of genocide committed against the Azerbaijani people and the practical measures taken for its global recognition. The scientist said that on that tragic night 613 civilians were killed with exceptional cruelty and tortures, including 63 children, 106 women, 70 elders, 487 people were severely injured, 76 of which were children, and 1,275 people were taken hostages and subjected to unimaginable abuse and humiliations. The fact that the Armenian side still withholds information about the fate of 150 prisoners is a clear indication of their criminal policy. I.Mammadov expressed confidence that the perpetrators of this terrible crime would receive the punishment they deserve, and honored the memory of the victims of the tragedy.