Australian senator adresses the Parliament about Khojaly genocide

Baku. 15 February. REPORT.AZ/ Senator Chris Back, a member of the Liberal Party of Australia, elected from the state of Western Australia to the Senate of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, made a speech about the Khojaly tragedy.

Report informs citing website of the Australian Parliament, in his speech, Senator C.Back stated that in two weeks time the people of Azerbaijan will remember the 25th anniversary of what has been one of the more bloody events in the country's history, when 600 civilians, including women and children, were killed.

C.Back said that the events occurred in the town of Khojaly in the now occupied territory of Azerbaijan, called Nagorno-Karabakh on 25 and 26 February 1992, when the forces of the Armenian side, with the support of troops of the then-USSR, seized the town and people were shot dead by Armenian soldiers or they froze to death.

The senator called the events of tragic and horrific nature and that the 1990s war had catastrophic effects, which continue today. C.Back stressed that a ceasefire was brokered by Russia, and it is estimated now that current population of Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan is 100,000 ethnic Armenians.

Describing consequences of the war as the worst form of a humanitarian crisis, C.Back noted that without successful mediation ceasefire violations and renewed tensions will continue to threaten to reignite a military conflict in this place, as it will in others, between these countries and in this particular case that will only serve to destabilise the Caucasus region.

At the end, the senator emphasized that Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan is now controlled by Armenia, and obviously ethnic Azerbaijanis believe they should have the opportunity to reside in their native place.