Khojaly genocide victims commemorated in Kazakhstan

An event dedicated to the 34th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide was held at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Kazakhstan, Report informs.

Representatives of state bodies, public organizations, the expert community, and the Azerbaijani diaspora, including Azerbaijani students studying in Kazakhstan, participated in the event.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan, Aghalar Atamoglanov, emphasized that the Khojaly genocide was one of the gravest crimes committed against civilians in the late 20th century.

He recalled that on the night of February 25-26, 1992, Armenian armed forces, with the participation of the 366th Guards Motor Rifle Regiment, destroyed the city of Khojaly, resulting in the killing of 613 civilians, including children, women, and the elderly.

The ambassador noted that after the return of the National Leader of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, to power, a political-legal assessment was given to the tragedy, and in February 1994, the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan officially evaluated the events as an act of genocide.

He also emphasized that the recognition and international legal assessment of the Khojaly genocide remain one of the foreign policy priorities of Azerbaijan determined by President Ilham Aliyev. It was particularly noted that under the initiative of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan and President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva, systematic work is being carried out to convey the truths about the Khojaly genocide to the international community.

During the event, information was provided regarding the international reaction to this tragic event: the legislative bodies of 18 countries, as well as 26 US states, have adopted resolutions and statements condemning the Khojaly genocide. Relevant documents have also been adopted within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the Organization of Turkic States (OTS).

Participants of the event were reminded that on October 15, 2023, President Ilham Aliyev raised the State Flag of Azerbaijan in the city of Khojaly, in May 2024, the first return of residents to the city took place, and in February 2025, an order on the creation of the Khojaly Genocide Memorial Complex was signed.

Historian Rizvan Huseynov also spoke at the event.

The event concluded with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the tragedy.