Address of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev to the Azerbaijani people on the sixth anniversary of the Khojali genocide - Baku, February 23, 1998

Six years have passed since the Khojali massacre, which is one of the most bloody events in our history.

Using the external assisstance the Armenian armed forces destroyed the city of Khojali and murdered hundreds of innocent people, including women and children on February 26, 1992. Hundreds of people were captured and tortured. The Khojali massacre committed against the Azerbaijani people is one of the most brutal terror acts in the history of the mankind.

The Armenian aggression began in Nagorno-Karabakh in 1988 turned into a bloody conflict between Armenian and Azerbaijan. The world community understands the danger of separatism and protests against it. It is condemned and evaluated politically and legally in international summits.

The Khojali tragedy will also be denounced by the world community and its organizers will be punished.

One of the factors that let the massacre happen was the struggle for the political power in Azerbaijan then. Political disability, betrayal of the then authorities, turmoil between political groupings caused a lot of tragedies, including the Khojali massacre.

The innocent victims of the Khojali tragedy are commemorated in the hole territory of Azerbaijan today. I express my condolense to the Azerbaijani people on the anniversary of the Khojali tragedy. May all martyrs rest in peace!

Every conflict comes to an end. Justice always triumphs. I want to assure our people that our peaceful country will liberate our occupied territories. All the displaced people will return home. With the might and will of the Azerbaijani people we shall achieve all our goals.

Heydar Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

\"Heydar Aliyev: Our independence is perpetual\" (speeches, statements, interviews, letters, addresses, decrees), Volume 4, Baku - 1998