Victims of Khojaly genocide - martyrs who made flag from their blood - COMMENT

Baku. 25 February. REPORT.AZ/ Ensuring territorial integrity, independence and national security of the state has always been on the agenda. This is a vital aspect of our life. Azerbaijan regained its independence on October 18, 1991. From that day, the protection of the country's territory, the liberation of the occupied lands, including the Nagorno-Karabakh, ensuring freedom of the country's citizens, economic prosperity among other tasks has become a duty for all citizens. 

Over the past 28 years thousands of Azerbaijanis, including representatives of other nationalists living in this land, sacrificed their lives for the liberation of the occupied lands and protection of the territorial integrity of the home country. With guns in their hands or unarmed, our citizens rallied to the defense of the Homeland against the notorious enemy, who was brought up in hatred towards Turks. For barbars who grew up on fascist ideology it makes no difference whom to kill - a warrior on the battle field or civilians - innocent women, children, elderly people - hatred blurs their vision and minds. Cherished on the Azerbaijani land, Armenians, like snakes, bit at the first occasion. Treacherously betraying the relations of good neighborliness, they inflicted reprisals on those, who extended them a helping hand, let them into their homes, with whom their shared bread, sorrow and joy, being merciless even to pregnant and sick people. With its actions Armenia represents a threat not only for Azerbaijan but also regional security. It means that Armenia poses a threat to international interests too. Armenians have long become puppets in someone's hands, meeting others' interests and letting external forces into the region. 

On the night of February 26, 1992, Armenian forces, with the help of the former Soviet 366th Motor Rifle Regiment, invaded Khojaly village, which was under blockade since October 1991, when all roads leading to the city were blocked, and the only available transport was via helicopter. The continuous gunfire was heard from February 25 evening. 2,500 civilians remaining in the village started to flee it in a hope to reach Aghdam, when Armenians started to shoot at them.

613 people fell victim to the enemy fire. As a result of this tragedy, 613 Khojaly civilians including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elderly civilians were killed. 8 families were completely annihilated. 130 children lost one of their parents, and other 25 lost both of them. 76 out of 487 people wounded by an enemy bullet were children. 1,275 Khojaly residents were captured and 150 went missing.

The genocidal act was recognized by the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as the parliaments of Mexico, Pakistan, Czech Republic, Peru, Colombia, Panama, Honduras, Sudan, Guatemala and Djibouti. The parliaments of Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Jordan, Slovenia and Scotland, as well as executive and legislative bodies of 22 American states recognized Khojaly events as a massacre. Those people were martyred for the independence, freedom, territorial integrity and security of Azerbaijan. Those who perpetrated the Khojaly genocide do not differ from the 11th Red Army that occupied Azerbaijan on April 28, 1920. Victims of Khojaly genocide are in the same position as armed and unarmed Azerbaijanis killed by the Soviet army during the occupation of Azerbaijan. All of them are martyrs, heroes of Azerbaijani freedom. Those who committed the Khojaly genocide are known to the international community, but international organizations remain silent.

Commander of the second batalion of the 366th motorized rifle regiment Seyran Oganyan, who comes from Azerbaijani city of Shusha, as a sign of gratitude for the perpetrated crimes, was appointed the Armenian Defense Minister, while Robert Kocharyan, whose hands are stained witht he blood of innocent Azerbaijanis, became the president of Armenia, where genocide and murders are raised to the state level. Commander of the third batalion of the 366th regiment Yevgeniy Nabokin and chief of staff of the 1st batalion Valeriy Chitchian are also the direct participants of the Khojaly genocide. For 27 years the OSCE Minsk Group, who undertook the mediation mission on the resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, particularly, Russia, as one of the co-chairs, keep silence in relation to the atrocities perpetrated by Armenians. Over the past years Moscow has shown much favor to the participants of the Khojaly genocde and occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh. Many years of Sargsyan's presidency is an obvious example of this.

One of the victims of Karabakh conflict is Zahra Guliyeva. On July 4, at 20:40 the Armenian armed forces subjected to fire the Alkhanli village of Fizuli region, using 82 and 120 millimeter mortars and heavy grenade launchers. Village residents Allahverdiyeva Sahiba Idris (born in 1967), and Guliyeva Zahra Elnur (born in 2015) were killed as a result of this provocation to which Armenians resorted.

The struggle for Azerbaijan is also held through glorification of the great name of our country, our banner. The enemy is creating intrigue everywhere. They resort to the most henious provocations, when it cannot reach other goals. Unfortunately, it happened neighbor Iran, which presents itself as a friend and other of Azerbaijan. Thus, Zahra Salmanli, the fifth grade student of Baku secondary school № 95 of the Baku city Department of Education, objected the hanging of the Azerbaijani flag under the Armenian in a sports competition held in Iran. Salmanli said she would not participate in the tournament if the Azerbaijani flag was not hung in the appropriate place. After her insistence, the flag of Azerbaijan was taken to an appropriate place. Zahra Salmanli defeated all her opponents and was awarded a gold medal and diploma. We would like to note that this is a sports competition, but the victory was over the Armenian rival. True, there is nothing unusual here.Each citizen of Azerbaijan must behave in the same way when he feels the disrespect towards his flag.This is his duty of honor.

As the event coincided with the International Mother Language Day and the Khojaly genocide, we considered it a duty to mention it. Although there are more than 30 million Azerbaijani Turks in Iran, there is no elementary school in their mother language.  For those who say what is the difference: if there is no difference, they could change the places of the flags. By the way, such an attitude towards the Azerbaijani flag is not the first case in Iran. For example, public activist named Ata Karimi was detained for 30 days in the Urmiya prison, for photographing with the flag of Azerbaijan in Iran. On February 21, 2015, on the eve of the International Mother Language Day, there was a huge scandal over the Azerbaijani flag on the completion of the Greco-Roman Wrestling World Cup among adults in Iran. In that race the national team of Azerbaijan won the World Cup for the first time. The national anthem was played after the awarding ceremony of the members of the Azerbaijani national team, and the flags of top three countries were raised. However, the Azerbaijani flag was distorted and the five-pointed star was reflected on it instead of an eight-pointed star.

Finally, on the eve of the Khojaly tragedy, the reason why we remember all these events is the fact that the enemy is always ready to deal a blow to us. Independent, liberal, prosperous, democratic Azerbaijan belongs to all its citizens who love it.  Those who committed the Khojaly genocide, the child killers, who brutally killed innocent two-year-old Zahra perpetrated these crimes out of hatred towards Azerbaijan. But martyrs as Zahra remain in memory forever. A famous saying goes: people live, as long as their memories live. And the revenge for Khojaly genocide will come one day! The reckoning day is near!

Those, who died for the sake of Homeland, are always in our hearts. Our people, our country are alive as long as there are people who are unwaveringly committed to Azerbaijan and are ready to sacrifice their lives for their native lands.