Italian Senator voices statement on Khojaly genocide

A statement on the Khojaly genocide was voiced at the plenary session of the Italian Senate, Azerbaijani Embassy in Italy told Report.

At the plenary session of the Italian Senate, Deputy Head of the Italian-Azerbaijani Interparliamentary Friendship Association, Senator from the Forza Italy party, Maria Rizzotti, voiced a statement on behalf of the members of the Association on the 30th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide and called on Italy to recognize the Khojaly genocide.

The statement says:

"Today is the anniversary of great pain for the people of Azerbaijan: we commemorate the 30th anniversary of the very heavy Khojaly massacre committed by the Armenian armed forces against civilian Azerbaijanis in the Azerbaijani city of Khojaly.

"The events that happened on the night of February 25-26, 1992, embody one of the most horrific pages of modern history, the great crime committed against the Azerbaijani civilians during the decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the most tragic page of the First Karabakh War.

"613 people, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 elderly, were brutally killed. 1275 people were taken hostage and tortured. The fate of 150 people is still unknown. Numerous families were completely destroyed, and many children lost both parents.

"In its judgement of 22 April 2010, the European Court of Human Rights arrived at an important conclusion with respect to the crime committed in Khojaly, qualifying the behaviour of those carrying out the incursion as "acts of particular gravity which may amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity".

"I would especially like to note that the perpetrators of this horrific massacre still remain unpunished. At such a dramatic time in the world, it is important that the international community insists on recognizing responsibility for this massacre, Armenia breaks the chain of hatred by apologizing for its actions, thus, creates conditions for real reconciliation between countries and normalization of the region.

"As in other European countries, it is important that Italy recognizes the Khojaly facts as they really are, that is, as genocide against civilians over their ethnic origin."

The senator's statement was broadcast live on Italian Senate television.