According to Hajiyev, the armed forces of Armenia, supported by the regiment No.366 of the former USSR, attacked and captured Khojaly, resulting in the deaths of 613 Azerbaijani civilians, including 106 women, 63 children, and 70 elderly people. The assault also left 1,000 people wounded, 1,275 taken hostage, and 150 individuals still missing to this day.
Hajiyev described the massacre as a deliberate act of genocide and a crime against humanity, emphasizing that it was not an isolated event but part of Armenia’s broader policy of ethnic cleansing. He further noted that the Khojaly genocide represents the worst mass killing of innocent civilians in Europe since World War II.
The assistant to the president criticized the international community’s silence and indifference at the time of the massacre, stating that justice for the victims of Khojaly had to be ensured by Azerbaijan itself. He also mentioned the liberation of Khojaly in September 2023 and announced that the masterminds and perpetrators of the crime would soon be brought to justice.
Hajiyev expressed that the ability for Khojaly survivors and Azerbaijani citizens to visit the liberated territories of Khojaly, Karabakh, and Eastern Zangezur freely is a significant consolation, allowing them to do so with dignity and pride.
