26 February 2015, 06:58
Residents of Azerbaijan pay tribute to 23rd anniversary of Khojaly tragedy (+video)
On February 26, Azerbaijan pays tribute to memory of the victims of the tragedy in the town of Khojaly in Nagorno-Karabakh. The country holds mourning ceremonies.
At night on February 26, 1992, in the course of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Armenian armed forces with the participation of soldiers of the 366th regiment of the CIS United Forces took by assault the town of Khojaly inhabited mainly by Azerbaijanis. Prior to transfer under the control of the Armenian armed forces, the town of Khojaly was completely isolated for more than four months. There were a lot of sick and wounded people in the town, including women, older people, and children. During that period, according to the Azerbaijani authorities, 613 civilians, including 63 children, were killed. 1275 people were taken hostage, and the fate of 155 of them is unknown till present.
On Thursday, mosques in Azerbaijan hold religious ceremony to commemorate the victims. The first lessons in educational institutions will be devoted to Khojaly.
In recent years, as part of the public campaign "Justice for Khojaly" on the eve of the anniversary of the tragic date, various countries carry out activities to inform the international community about the tragedy in Khojaly. In particular, activists organized conferences and exhibitions dedicated to the memory of the victims to Khojaly.
Meanwhile, every year, number of organizations and government institutions expressing solidarity with the people of Azerbaijan in connection with the Khojaly tragedy grows throughout the world.
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.
Source: CK correspondents
