BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 23

Trend:

Some 12 deputies of the UK’s Parliament issued a joint statement regarding the 30th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s Khojaly genocide, the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the UK told Trend.

According to the embassy, the parliamentarians expressed their condolences to the Azerbaijani people, especially those who lost their loved ones as a result of the tragedy, and also expressed solidarity with Azerbaijanis.

The authors of the statement described the Khojaly genocide as one of the most tragic chapters in the recent history of Azerbaijan. They also recalled the decision of the European Court of Human Rights as of April 22, 2010, which characterized Khojaly tragedy as a war crime and a crime against humanity.

In this regard, the statement stressed the need to reinforce international humanitarian law for preventing similar tragedies in the future.

The UK parliamentarians also welcomed the end of the conflict and expressed hope for a complete normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Furthermore, the statement noted that at the post-conflict stage, a number of challenges have arisen, such as the clearance of territories, the restoration of communications and transport links, the delimitation, and the demarcation of borders. The authors of the document called on the UK government to assist in solving these problems, including mine-clearance operations.

The statement is the first joint initiative of the UK’s MPs on the occasion of the Khojaly genocide. Members of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom Bob Blackman, David Duguid, Bob Seeley, Matthew Offord, Dan Poulter, members of the House of Lords – Lord Risby, Lord Sheikh, Lord Kilcluney, Lord Hossein, Lord Evans, Baroness Manzur and Lord Flight had joined the initiative.

During the first Karabakh war, on Feb. 25-26, 1992, the Armenian Armed Forces, supported by the 366th infantry regiment of Soviet troops, stationed in Khankendi city, committed an act of genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly.

As many as 613 civil residents, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 old people were killed in the massacre, 1,000 people were injured, and 1,275 were taken, hostage.