Today.Az » Politics » Khojaly Genocide victims commemorated in Riyadh – PHOTOS
27 February 2010 [14:00] - Today.Az
The Azerbaijani embassy in the United Arab Emirates organized an event to commemorate 18th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide in Riyadh on Feb. 24, the embassy said in a statement.
The Justice for Khojaly media campaign initiated by the OIC Youth Forum General Coordinator for Intercultural Dialogue was also staged.
The photo exhibition displaying victims of the Khojaly Genocide was also organized. Books, brochures, electronic and other materials in Arabic and English languages about the facts of the mass extermination of the Azerbaijani population by the Armenian aggressors were circulated.
The event was attended by representatives of the UAE state bodies and public organizations, foreign diplomatic missions accredited in the country, media, as well as representatives of the Azerbaijani and Turkish communities.
Memory of the Khojaly Genocide victims was remembered by a minute’s silence.
Addressing the participants, Azerbaijani ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ilyas Abdullayev said that the brutal slaughter of civilians in Khojaly was a continuation of Armenian nationalists’ policy of genocide against Azerbaijan people. During his speech, he cited statistics on those killed, wounded, missing and taken hostage in Khojaly.
He also noted that despite obvious facts, unfortunately, world community has not given legal and political assessment to this tragedy yet.
The film "Destroyed town" representing factual information about the Khojaly events was demonstrated in Arabic.
Speaking after the film demonstration, a prominent Saudi socio-political activist, co-chairman of Saudi-Azerbaijani Friendship Society Izzat Mufti said that he was shocked by extermination of peaceful Azerbaijani population in Khojaly. In his speech, he emphasized that these facts once again proves that terror and violence has neither nationality nor religion.
Pointing to the Organization of Islamic Conference member states’ support to Azerbaijan’s position in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and describing Armenia’s current leadership as responsible for the Khojaly tragedy, Mufti urged the world community to increase pressure on Armenia.
Addressing the gathering, First Secretary of the Azerbaijani Embassy Togrul Qafarov emphasized that there was strong evidence proving decision by the then leadership of Armenia to commit massacre in Khojaly
Qafarov briefly updated the participants of the Justice for Khojaly campaign, its web site and international events held as part of this campaign in 2009.
Qafarov called on participants to sign the petition addressed leaders of foreign countries and international organizations upon the initiative OIC YF Coordinator for Intercultural Dialogue Leyla Aliyeva.
The vast majority of participants signed the above petition in solidarity with the Justice for Khojaly campaign.
Music video performed by Tony Blackman (USA) and Azerbaijan’s rap group Dayirman shot as part of the Justice for Khojaly campaign was demonstrated at the end of the event.
Day.Az
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