State Telegraph Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan
February 25, 2009 Wednesday

MEMBER OF CALIFORNIA STATE ASSEMBLY MAKES STATEMENT ON KHOJALY
GENOCIDE, OFFERS CONDOLENCES TO PRESIDENT

Baku February 25, 2009

Member of California State Assembly Felipe Fuantes has made a
statement on the 17th anniversary of Khojaly genocide, and also
offered his condolences in a letter sent to Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev.

Fuantes` move came following his meeting with Azerbaijani MP Asim
Mollazade and the country`s Council General in Los Angeles Elin
Suleymanov.

The letter says: I join the American Azerbaijanis and citizens of
Azerbaijan paying tribute to victims of the Khojaly tragedy happened
on 26 February, 1992. On that day, 613 Azerbaijani civilians were
killed, while hundreds of people were wounded in what was described by
the Human Rights Watch as the largest massacre to date.

Fuantes further writes in his letter that it is very important that
the Armenia-Azerbaijan dispute is solved peacefully, and that
perpetrators of military crimes be brought to justice in order to
prevent violence against civilians throughout the world.

I support efforts of the US Department of State towards finding a
peaceful solution to conflicts existing in Caucasus, and offer my
condolences to families from Khojaly the California Assembly member
concluded.