OIC PA urges Arab parliaments to recognize Khojaly tragedy as crime against humanity

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC PA) adopted a declaration calling on parliaments in 51 countries to recognize the Khojaly tragedy as a crime against humanity, the OIC Youth Forum said today.

The resolution adopted by MPs in 51 countries notes that the organization recognizes the "mass slaughter committed by the Armenian armed forces against the Azerbaijani Khojaly region's civilian population as a crime against humanity."

The representative interparliamentary platform also appealed to member countries "to give an appropriate assessment to this crime at the national level."

The resolution was part of the "Justice for Khojaly" campaign, initiated by Heydar Aliyev Foundation Vice President, OIC Youth Forum General Coordinator Leyla Aliyeva, whose work was lauded by the Council of the OIC PA.

The idea to adopt the resolution was put forward by Aliyeva during her meeting with the national coordinators of the "Justice for Khojaly" campaign and was successfully realized as a result of lobbying by campaign activists among MPs worldwide.

The Armenian military forces committed genocide in Khojaly on Feb. 26 1992. More than 600 people were killed, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 old men. A total of 1,000 civilians were disabled during the genocide. Eight families were annihilated, 130 children lost one parent, and 25 lost both parents. Additionally, 1,275 peaceful residents were taken hostages, while the fate of 150 remains unknown.

The campaign was initiated by Aliyeva on the anniversary of Shusha's occupation on May 8, 2008. The campaign aims to educate the international community about the Khojaly tragedy. Hundreds of volunteers work on the campaign worldwide.
 
The OIC PA brings together MPs from 51 OIC member countries of OIC, and holds a council meeting annually and conference every two years.


/Trend/