Ukrainian capital marks 34th anniversary of Khojaly genocide

The 34th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide was commemorated in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine.

According to Report, the event was organized by the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Ukraine and held at the Kyiv Academic National Operetta Theater.

The commemoration was attended by ambassadors accredited in Ukraine, diplomats, Ukrainian historians, scholars, university rectors and professors, students, and representatives of the local community.

After a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the Khojaly genocide, Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Ukraine, Seymur Mardaliyev, delivered a detailed speech about the genocide.

The ambassador recalled that under the leadership of Leyla Aliyeva, Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the Justice for Khojaly campaign has achieved recognition of the genocide in a number of countries, including some US states.

Mardaliyev stressed that if the international community had given a timely legal assessment to the Khojaly genocide, subsequent genocides elsewhere might have been prevented:

"We must remember a simple truth - impunity breeds new crimes."

The ambassador also pointed out that after liberating its territories, Azerbaijan reaffirmed its commitment to the peace process, while also ensuring that war criminals are prosecuted under international law:

"By launching the post‑conflict peace process, Azerbaijan has also brought to justice dozens of war criminals - including Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, David Babayan, and Ruben Vardanyan - for crimes against humanity. They recently received heavy court sentences. However, other perpetrators, including Armenia's former presidents Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan, continue to benefit from impunity."

Mardaliyev emphasized that Khojaly was liberated in September 2023 by Azerbaijan's victorious Armed Forces after nearly 30 years of occupation: "This was not only a military or political stage. It was a moral and historical victory for the Azerbaijani people."

The commemoration evening featured performances by soloists of the Kyiv Academic National Operetta Theater, who presented works by Gara Garayev and Fikrat Amirov, as well as pieces by Ukrainian and international classical composers.