participated at the defense of Khojaly, with
medals of “Qızıl Ulduz” (Gold Star) and
order of “Azərbaycan Bayrağı” (Banner of
Azerbaijan) - February 26, 1999
...The Armenians have repeatedly committed ag-
gressions and genocides against the Azerbaijani peo-
ple throughout the 20
th
century. The genocide of Kho-
jaly is the most terrible one...
...On that terrible February night the Armenian
armed forces, supported by the 366
th
Regiment of the
Soviet Union, committed a terrible genocide against
the population of Khojaly, one of the magnificent
corners of Azerbaijan. The genocide committed with
an unprecedented atrocity is one of the most terrible
tragedies of the 20
th
century. Peaceful and unarmed
Khojaly inhabitants experienced heavy blows that
night. As a result of the genocide hundreds of women,
men, the old, the youth and children of Khojaly were
killed, wounded, handicapped, and taken captives...
...This tragedy is the heaviest blow against our peo-
ple during the Armenian-Azerbaijani war. The Kho-
jaly people faced this tragedy bravely with heroism.
Those, who were defending their homes and families
perished and became martyrs. As a result of the fire
opened by the savage Armenians, Khojaly became
stained with blood...
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85
...This tragedy shocked the Azerbaijani people and
was a heavy moral blow on the population of Khojaly.
However, their spirit was not broken; they became
martyrs heroically and courageously. The Khojaly
people went through this tragedy with fortitude...
...The genocide in Khojaly is a tragedy of all the
Azerbaijani people. Therefore, today is the day of
grief and mourning in the country. I ask peace and
blessings of God Almighty for all those killed there
and express my condolences to all the inhabitants of
Khojaly and all the Azerbaijani people. Every mur-
dered person was our compatriot. It is the mourning
day of the Azerbaijani people...
■
From the address of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev to the
Azerbaijani people on the occasion of March
31 - the Day of Genocide - Baku, March 29, 2000
...In February 1992, the Armenian armed forces
supported by the troops of the former Soviet Union
committed an unprecedented terrible massacre. Thou-
sands of defenders and peaceful people of Khojaly
were killed and taken captives, the town itself was de-
stroyed. The main goal of that horrible vandalism and
genocide was to scare our people and break our will...
■
From the address of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev to
the Azerbaijani people on the occasion of
the anniversary of the genocide in Khojaly –
February 24, 2001
...On February 26, 1992, the Armenian armed forc-
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86
es equipped with the most modern weapons and sup-
ported by the 366
th
Motor Rifle Regiment of the former
Soviet Union razed Khojaly to the ground and mas-
sacred hundreds of innocent civilians, including chil-
dren, women and the old. This cruel act of aggression
became an unprecedented crime implemented not
only against the Khojaly population, but also against
the whole mankind. The Armenians have repeated-
ly committed aggressions and genocides against the
Azerbaijani people throughout the 20
th
century. The
Khojaly tragedy is the most terrible one...
...Revering the memory of the victims of Khojaly
we think about our civic debt to them. The best way to
pay this debt is to defend the independence of Azer-
baijan, to ensure the inviolability of its borders and
territorial integrity...
■
From the talk of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev with
Lord Russell Johnston, chairman of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe, September 15, 2001
...All the events, which have taken place in the Ar-
menian-Azerbaijani relations since 1988, including
the murder of people, the genocide in Khojaly, ethnic
cleansing in the occupied territories, are the forms of
terrorism...
■
From the address of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev to
the Azerbaijani people on the occasion of
the tenth anniversary of the genocide in
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87
...The genocide in Khojaly is the bloodiest page of
the Armenian policy of ethnic cleansing and a crime
against the Azerbaijani people going on for over two
hundred years. This policy supported by some states
was conducted in the period of the tsarist Russia and
of the Soviet Union. It resulted in mass deportation
of the Azerbaijani population from their homes and
massacres after the collapse of the USSR. Two million
Azerbaijanis suffered from the consequences of the
Armenian policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide...
...By committing the unprecedented Khojaly
genocide, the Armenian chauvinists wanted to ter-
rify our people, occupy the Mountainous-Garabagh
and other territories of Azerbaijan, break our will.
However, the enemies could not achieve their goals.
It is true that the tragedy shocked Azerbaijan and
wounded our people badly. But the defenders of
Khojaly demonstrated heroism against the Arme-
nian armed forces and wrote a heroic page of our
history...
...Now the Azerbaijani government and people
must inform the world community about the Kho-
jaly genocide and other atrocities in Garabagh and
achieve its recognition as a genocide. It is our debt
to the martyrs of Khojaly. At the same time, it is im-
portant to achieve international legal and political
recognition of the tragedy, punish the organizers
and executors in order not to let the repetition of
such brutalities against mankind...
Khojaly - Baku, February 25, 2002
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■
From the address of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev
to the Jewish community in Azerbaijan –
Presidential Palace, April 8, 2002
..The Armenian military aggression against Azer-
baijan, the policy of deportation and genocide against
our people, unprecedented genocide in Khojaly, are
the greatest national disasters of the last fourteen
years of the 20
th
century...
■
From the address of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev to
the Azerbaijani people on the occasion of
the anniversary of the genocide in Khojaly -
Baku, February 25, 2003
...The massacre in Khojaly is a bloody page of the
Armenian policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide
against the Azerbaijani people, which has been go-
ing on for over two hundred years. This policy and
hostility have never ended, but continued in differ-
ent forms...
...The territorial claims of the Armenian nation-
alists declared 15 years ago resulted in the mass de-
portation of the Azerbaijanis from their homelands,
a number of terror acts and a large-scale bloody war.
As a result of this war, tens of thousands of people
perished or were wounded, hundreds of thousands
of our compatriots became refugees and IDPs. The
Mountainous-Garabagh and seven adjoining dis-
tricts were occupied by the Armenian armed forces.
However, the brutal destruction of Khojaly on Feb-
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89
ruary 26, 1992, was the most tragic of all. Together
with the 366
th
Regiment of the Soviet army, the Ar-
menian armed forces tortured and murdered hun-
dreds of people, including women, children and the
old with an unparalleled ferocity. Because of the
brutality and ferocity of the crimes committed in
Khojaly, it will remain one of the biggest tragedies
in the history...
...By committing the massacre in Khojaly, the
Armenian chauvinists wanted to terrify our people
and break our will. However, the enemies could not
achieve their goals. The defenders of Khojaly faced
the fully equipped enemies and displayed heroism
in unequal battles...
■
From the address of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev to
the Azerbaijani people on the occasion
of March 31 -the Day of Genocide of the
Azerbaijanis - Baku, March 27, 2003
...The massacre committed in the February of
1992, will remain in history as an unparalleled act
of genocide due to its brutalities. This is an incom-
plete list of crimes of the Armenian nationalists and
their patrons against our people. As a result of this
centuries-long chauvinist and aggressive policy, the
original Azerbaijani territories have been occupied,
tens of thousands of Azerbaijanis have been bru-
tally murdered, thousands of cultural monuments
were destroyed by the Armenians. Large circles of
the Armenian people were brought up in the spir-
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90
■
From the letter of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev
to the Jewish community in Azerbaijan –
Baku, April 27, 2003
...The Azerbaijani people have also faced such
disasters throughout its history. Particularly as a
result of the regular Armenian military aggression
launched in 1988, the genocide and deportation of
the Azerbaijanis, mass murders and massacres, hor-
rible Armenian vandalism in our occupied territo-
ries, and the Khojaly genocide took place in front of
the world community, nevertheless they have not
yet received sufficient international legal and polit-
ical recognition...
it of hatred against the Azerbaijanis and a number
of the Armenian terrorist organizations have been
created...
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91
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Ilham Aliyev about the Khojaly genocide
■
From the address of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the
Azerbaijani people on the occasion of the
anniversary of the genocide in Khojaly -
Baku, February 24, 2004
...Our people faced one of the most horrible days in
its history on February 26, 1992. On that day the ancient
Azerbaijani town of Khojaly was razed to the ground.
Hundreds of peaceful residents were killed without
any military necessity, their corpses were humilated.
Children, women, the old, entire families were anni-
hilated. One of the brutal crimes was comitted at the
end of the 20
th
century not only against the Azerbai-
jani people, but also against the humanity...
...The Khojaly tragedy was not accidental, but part
of the policy of genocide and ethnic cleansing carried
out by the Armenian nationalists against the Azerbaija-
ni people for over two centuries...
...Because of the atrocities committed, the Khojaly
tragedy became one of the most horrible crimes in the
history...
■
From the address of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the
Azerbaijani people on the occasion of the
15
th
anniversary of the genocide in Khojaly -
Baku, February 23, 2007
...On the 26
th
of February, 1992, the town of
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■
From the speech of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at the
opening ceremony of the First Forum of the
heads of the Azerbaijani diasporas - Baku,
March 9, 2007
...The savages, who commited the genocide in
Khojaly, accuse us of genocide, and their propogan-
da succeeds though it is based on lies...
Khojaly was savagely destroyed by the Armenian
armed forces, the defenders and residents of Kho-
jaly were brutally dealt with. Hundreds of peace-
ful residents, including children, women, the old,
entire families were humilated. Such a massacre
witnessed by the world community at the end of
the 20
th
century, for its cruelty and brutality was
committed not only against the Azerbaijani peo-
ple, but also against the humanity...
...Today it is not a secret that the Khojaly trage-
dy was a bloody page of the policy of genocide and
ethnic cleansing carried out by the Armenian na-
tionalists against the Azerbaijanis for centuries...
...By committing the genocide in Khojaly, the
Armenian nationalists followed their political
and tactical goals. They wanted to break our will
and force us to reconcile with the loss of our his-
torical lands. But the enemy failed, our people
demonstrated strong will and heroism in battles
for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our
country...
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■
From the address of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev
to Azerbaijani people on the occasion
of March 31- the Day of Genocide of the
Azerbaijanis – Baku, March 29, 1997
...The mass murders and robberies committed by
the Armenian military gangs in different regions of
the Caucasus in 1905 and 1918, deportation of our
compatriots from their native lands in the pres-
ent-day Republic of Armenia between 1948 and
1953, large-scale war launched in 1988 to annex the
Mountainous Garabagh and its bitter consequences,
and, finally, the genocide in Khojaly in 1992 are the
bloody pages of the policy of genocide deliberately
carried out by the aggressive Armenian nationalists
against the Azerbaijanis...
■
From the speech of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at the
11th Assembly of Friendship, Fraternity
and Cooperation of the Turkic States and
Societies – November 17, 2007
...The Armenians have always conducted a poli-
cy of genocide against the Turks and Azerbaijanis. It
took place in the past not once, the Khojaly genocide
is an example. Is the murder of the innocent people,
children and the old women not a genocide? What
is it then?..
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■
From the statement of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at the
joint press conference dedicated to his visit
to Poland – February 26, 2008
...On February 26, 1992, Armenia conducted an
ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijan. That day the
town of Khojaly in Azerbaijan was attacked, more
than 600 Azerbaijanis, including 63 children, 106
women were massacred. This is a very grave crime...
■
From the address of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to
the Azerbaijani people on the occasion
of March 31- the Day of Genocide of the
Azerbaijanis – Baku, March 29, 2008
...Committed by the Armenian armed forces in
the February of 1992, the Khojaly massacre will re-
main in history as matchless act of genocide because
of its brutalities...
■
Address of the President of the Republic
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the Jewish
community in Azerbaijan – Baku, April 20,
2009
...The military aggression of Armenia against
Azerbaijan, the policy of deportation and ethnic
cleaning against our people, mass murders and ter-
rors, and the monstrous genocide of the Azerbaijan-
is in Khojaly in the last 20 years are the bitter reali-
ties of our time...
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95
■
From the speech of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at the
opening of a new settlement for IDPs in
Goranboy – Goranboy, February 10, 2011
The Khojali genocide is one of the most horrific
and heinous crimes of the 20th century. It has ex-
posed the monstrous and ugly face of the Arme-
nian fascism. Unfortunately, the Armenians in the
world, their foreign benefactors and the Armenian
lobby have been hushing up the truth about Khojaly
for many years.
The world community was receiving insufficient
information on this issue. Our capabilities in in-
forming the world about these realities were limit-
ed, especially in the early years of the independence.
Now the situation is completely different. Azerbai-
jan has extensive opportunities and a broad Diaspo-
ra. Public organizations, state bodies of Azerbaijan
release a number of publications about the Khojaly
The Armenian nationalists continue to occupy not
only the Mountainous Garabagh, but also seven oth-
er districts of Azerbaijan. Armenia destroyed our cities
and villages, our homes and sacred places, graves of
our ancestors and our mosques. They committed war
crimes, a genocide in Khojaly, where hundreds of ci-
vilians were killed by the Armenian armed forces only
because they were Azerbaijanis.
■
From the speech of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev at the
VII OSCE Summit – December 1, 2010
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96
genocide, publish books, conduct conferences and
other activities around the world. In other words,
the international community is fully aware of the
Khojaly genocide now. However, it is also true that
the existence of double standards complicates our
work.
■
Address of the President of the Republic
of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the people
of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the 20th
anniversary of the Khojaly genocide – Baku,
February 23, 2012
Over the past two centuries, the Armenian bigots,
in an effort to materialize their dream of “Great Arme-
nia” at the expense of the historical Azerbaijani lands,
have repeatedly committed crimes against humanity,
such as terrorism, mass extermination, deportation
and ethnic cleansing of our people. However, the
Khojaly genocide, which occurred in the late 20th cen-
tury right in front of the eyes of the entire world, was
distinguished for the particular brutality and ruth-
lessness and has become the bloodiest page of this
aggressive policy. The political and legal responsi-
bility for this grave crime rests directly on them and
current leaders of Armenia, on the separatist Moun-
tainous Garabagh regime.
For nearly 20 years Azerbaijan has been carry-
ing out a specific and systematic work to inform the
world community of the Khojaly tragedy perpetrat-
ed by the Armenian fascists and to have it be recog-
nized on the international arena as a genocide. In the
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97
recent years, as a part of the international campaign
“Justice for Khojaly”, numerous institutions of civil
society, youth and Diaspora organizations represent-
ing our compatriots together with the government
agencies have been carrying out productive activities
in this area. The true face of the Armenian propagan-
da machine, built on lies and falsifications, is already
being exposed, the global public opinion has begun
to perceive the truth about Khojaly. The Parliamenta-
ry Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation
has recognized this fact as “a massive crime against
humanity” and urged its member-states to give an
appropriate political and legal assessment to this
tragedy. The parliaments of Pakistan and Mexico
have issued resolutions recognizing this massacre as
an act of genocide.
Currently, the Republic of Azerbaijan is playing
an important role in the global security system and
in the fight against international terrorism. We con-
sider any racial discrimination and hostility on eth-
nic and religious grounds, regardless of where they
occur, as a crime against humanity. Our government
will continue to pursue activities for an objective as-
sessment to be given to the Khojaly genocide and to
the Armenian occupation of the Azerbaijani lands,
and to restore the historical and legal justice. We will
use all necessary political and legal means to wage an
uncompromising struggle against such phenomena.
By perpetrating the Khojaly genocide, the enemy
intended to break the will of the Azerbaijani people,
to force us to abandon the struggle for our sovereign-
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