Azerbaijan's ambassador calls on new German government to recognize Khojaly genocide

Azerbaijan's Ambassador to Germany Nasimi Aghayev has called on the new government to be formed in Germany by results of elections to Bundestag to recognize the Khojaly genocide, according to Report.

"As a leading European democracy, Germany has a special responsibility in addressing historical crimes. My hope is that the new German government will not only recognize Khojaly as genocide but also actively support the international awareness of the massacre," he said in an interview with Germany's Capital Beat.

To the question why the world powers have not yet recognized events in Khojaly as genocide, the ambassador noted with regret that in international politics, morality is often subordinated to realpolitik.

"Western democracies emphasize their values—human rights, historical justice—but when it comes to Khojaly and other crimes committed by Armenia, these principles suddenly seem irrelevant. Many European countries avoid recognition due to geopolitical and strategic considerations. But that is no excuse. The Khojaly massacre meets all the criteria of genocide as defined by the UN Convention," Aghayev said.

He noted that Khojaly genocide occurred in period of geopolitical turmoil, when the world world was preoccupied with the collapse of the Soviet Union, wars in the Balkans, and emerging crises in other regions.

"The suffering of Azerbaijani civilians was largely overlooked. At the same time, Armenia, with its influential diaspora, had the ability to manipulate international perception, redirect narratives, and obscure the reality of this crime," he said.