On the night of February 25-26 in 1992, the Armenian armed forces launched an armed attack with the support of the 366th motorized rifle regiment of the Soviet army stationed in the city of Khankendi with the aim of mass killing of the peaceful population of the city of Khojaly.

The Khojaly genocide is the gravest crime of genocide committed against peaceful Azerbaijani people in the course of Armenia’s aggressive war against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces with the military support of the infantry guards regiment destroyed Khojaly city and with particular brutality implemented carnage over the peaceful population. As a result, 613 people, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 older people were killed with special cruelty, 8 families were completely wiped out, 25 children lost both parents, 132 children lost one of their parents, 1275 people were taken hostage, and the fate of 150 of them is unknown. During the genocide, 56 people were killed with unprecedented cruelty, people were burned alive and subjected to terrible torture.

As a result of Armenia's Khojaly genocide against Azerbaijanis and the military aggression that was accompanied by the massacres at Baghanis Ayrim, Garadaghli, Aghdaban, and Bashlibel, up to 20% of our lands were occupied, 20,000 citizens were killed, and more than 50,000 people were injured or rendered disabled. Azerbaijan faced a great humanitarian crisis.

In response to the provocations and military aggression of Armenia, which relentlessly targets the civilian population, the people of Azerbaijan arose to the Patriotic War on September 27, 2020, calling for the liberation of their lands from occupation, the fulfillment of the demands of the UN Security Council resolutions, and the restoration of historical justice. Within forty-four days, Azerbaijan won a brilliant victory on the battlefield and liberated its territories from the 30-year-long Armenian occupation.

Because the enemy exacted revenge on the Khojaly Genocide victims like they did with all of our martyrs, our people have been visiting the Khojaly Genocide Memorial in Baku without hesitancy for the past three years.

Purposeful actions have been taken over the past few years to spread awareness of the Khojaly atrocity and to give our legitimate voice to the world. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation is systematically and consistently working to bring the facts of the Khojaly genocide to the world. As a result of The "Justice for Khojaly" international campaign initiated by Leyla Aliyeva, the Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, 17 countries around the world, 24 states in the USA and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have adopted decisions and resolutions recognizing the mass killings committed in the town of Khojaly as a genocidal crime and the tragedy has been given an international political assessment.

The Khojaly genocide should be assessed legally and those responsible for this terrible tragedy should get the appropriate punishment.

On the eve of the thirty-first anniversary of the tragedy, we once again commemorate the dear memory of our compatriots who were killed during the Khojaly genocide with deep sadness!

The Azerbaijani people will never forget Khojaly genocide!