President: War criminals have received their deserved punishment

"I am delivering these congratulatory words here in Khankendi, in front of the Victory Arch. This is the second victory arch erected in honor of our glorious Victory. The first is in Baku, and the second is here, in Khankendi. A Victory Museum also operates next to the Victory Arch in Baku," Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev made the remarks in his Victory Day address to the nation from Khankendi, Report informs.

President Ilham Aliyev stressed that the name of every single one of Azerbaijan's martyrs is engraved in the museum:

"There will also be a Victory Museum in Khankendi. Final work on its establishment is currently underway. It will be located in the former executive authority building, which was once the cradle of aggression and occupation policies against Azerbaijan. It was a lair of evil. When I visited that building after our glorious Victory in October 2023, the first thing I did was open its windows so that the evil spirit would depart from there. Now, the Victory Museum will be housed in that very building. Those who occupied that building-the war criminals-have received the punishment they deserved. They wanted to come to Baku in tanks; they wanted to drink tea in Baku. They made arrogant statements because they were sheltered by certain patrons and believed that they could pursue a policy of perpetual occupation forever. But we showed them who is who. We demonstrated the dignity, fortitude, and will of the Azerbaijani people. Today, having received the punishment they deserved, they are drinking tea in Azerbaijani prisons."

The head of state noted that each step of the staircase leading to the Victory Arch bears the date of a day of the Patriotic War:

"Every person ascending this staircase rightfully feels a sense of pride, reliving the history of our glorious 44-day march. All this is natural. At the same time, I must also point out that the blood of our martyrs is etched into this staircase. We lost martyrs every day, and blood was shed every day. Despite this, our people demonstrated true patriotism and solidarity. The support we received from the people gave me, as Commander-in-Chief, additional strength. Thus, we moved forward. We did not stop for a single day or take a single step back. We drove the enemy from our lands, restored justice, and today our territory is free and whole."