A commemorative event marking the 31st anniversary of the Khojaly genocide co-organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and the Embassy of Azerbaijan has taken place in Italy, AzVision.az reports.

The event was attended by members of the Italian parliament, state officials, public and political figures, representatives of the diplomatic corps, local media representatives, and members of the Azerbaijani community.

While delivering a speech at the event, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Italy Rashad Aslanov noted that the Khojaly genocide was one of the most serious crimes committed against the civilian population during the Armenian military aggression against Azerbaijan 31 years ago. The ambassador said that this massacre was a manifestation of Armenia's ethnic cleansing policy, as well as stated that this tragic event was a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law principles.

Aslanov stressed that the memory of the war, genocide, and anti-humanity crimes is also important in terms of ensuring the punishment of perpetrators and preventing the repetition of such atrocities. Noting that Azerbaijan managed to establish justice and restore territorial integrity following the 2020 second Karabakh war under President Ilham Aliyev's leadership, the ambassador underscored the unwavering position of the country regarding a legal and political assessment of the Khojaly genocide.

The ambassador pointed out that the "Justice for Khojaly!" international campaign initiated by the Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva made an important contribution to the legal and political assessment of the crimes committed in Khojaly.

Addressing the event, the representative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Fidan Yusibova emphasized that the Khojaly genocide was a crime committed not only against Azerbaijani compatriots but also against humanity as a whole. The Khojaly massacre can't be forgotten, this story is forever imprinted in the memory of the blood of our people. This tragic event is a bloody page in radical Armenian nationalists' ethnic cleansing policy against our people.

She noted that making the truth about Khojaly known to the international community has always remained a pivotal activity of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. She emphasized the exceptional merits of the First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva in conveying the truth about this heinous genocide to the world. The "Justice for Khojaly!" international campaign is primarily aimed at disseminating the Khojaly facts at the international level and achieving an objective assessment of the tragedy.

Yusibova added that the mentioned international campaign made a considerable contribution to the recognition of the Khojaly genocide abroad. The objective of the campaign is to inform the international community about this tragedy, honor the memory of the victims, and ensure that their memory will last forever. As a result of the purposeful activities carried out as part of the campaign, countries worldwide were briefed on the inhuman acts of the Armenian terrorists. As of today, over 10 countries and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation have adopted decisions and resolutions recognizing the crimes committed by Armenians in Khojaly.

Then, a 13-year-old representative of the Azerbaijani community in Italy Ilduza Sadikhova presented to the event participants attention the stories in Italian from the book "They will never grow up" dedicated to the Khojaly victims, authored by the genocide witness Sariya Jafarova.

Honored artist of Azerbaijan, famous pianist Islam Manafov and honored artist, conductor, composer, and pianist Turan Manafzade performed works of Azerbaijani and world classics. In addition, the work "Khojaly" by the Azerbaijani pianist, laureate of international competitions, conductor and composer Abuzar Manafzada was also played.

The participants also got acquainted with a photo exhibition dedicated to the 31st anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.

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