A commemorative event dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide has been held at Baku Engineering University (BEU). 

First, the memory of the heroes and the innocent victims of the Khojaly genocide, who died in the battles for freedom, independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, was commemorated with a minute of silence, and then the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was played. 

After demonstration of the video about the chronicle of the Khojaly genocide, Rector of BEU, Professor Havar Mammadov stated that the Khojaly massacre was the worst genocide committed against Azerbaijani civilian population during the Armenian war of aggression against Azerbaijan. Noting that on the night of 25-26 February 1992, with the participation of the 366th Regiment of the former Soviet Army in Khankendi, Armenian armed forces violating  all international legal norms  attacked the civilian population of the sieged town of Khojaly with heavy military equipment, the Rector set forth in detail the unprecedented atrocities committed against the civilians and gave clear description how the town was razed to the ground. 

Havar Mammadov noted that the first purposeful activity to convey the realities of the Khojaly genocide to the world community and  recognize this tragedy as an act of genocide against Azerbaijanian people was initiated after the return of National Leader Heydar Aliyev to political power in Azerbaijan. 

Emphasizing that the consistent work carried out by embassies and diaspora organizations to convey the truth of Azerbaijan to the world community under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the head of the University also said that the scope of work done within the international campaign "Justice for Khojaly!" supported by Heydar Aliyev Foundation broadens year by year.

In his speech, the rector said that as a result of 44-Day Patriotic War, the glorious Azerbaijani Army under the leadership of Victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev winning a victory liberated our native lands and avenged our martyrs and innocent victims of Khojaly.

Abdin Farzaliyev, the head of the Absheron District Executive Power, spoke about the grave consequences of the Khojaly genocide, one of the bloodiest events in the history of Azerbaijan. Mr. Farzaliyev recalled that the first political and legal assessment to Khojaly genocide was given by the initiative of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and a resolution was adopted on February 24, 1994 by Milli Majlis on the Day of the Khojaly Genocide. He also mentioned about the ongoing work proceeding both on a legal level and in the direction of conveying the truth of Khojali Genocide to the world community. As a result of the hard work done by the First Vice-President Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva and the Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva, considerable steps have been taken over the past years to convey our voice to the world and promote the Khojaly genocide in the international arena. Abdin Farzaliyev also added that the Khojaly genocide was recognized by a number of countries and the tragedy was given an international political assessment.

Emphasizing that the Azerbaijani people united like an iron fist around the Victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev in the 44-Day Patriotic War, Abdin Farzaliyev said that our army won a historic victory and avenged our martyrs by inflicting crushing blows on the enemy. The chief executive talked about the fact that the majority of our heroes demonstrating unparalleled courage in the Great Patriotic War were members of the younger generation and they participated voluntarily in the war. 

Then, the chairperson of the NAP Absheron regional organization Abbas Aliyev and the chairperson  of the BEU Student Youth Organization (SYO) Laman Sharifova took the floor at the event. It was stated that the Khojaly genocide was a crime committed not only against the people of Azerbaijan, but humanity as a whole. Furthermore, the main responsibilites of the young people in conveying the truth of Khojali Genocide to the world community were also noted. 

At the end of the event, a literary-artistic composition entitled "Mother's Cry" prepared by the amateur team of BEU was demonstrated.

Public Relations Department