Brussels hosts commemoration for Khojaly tragedy victims

A commemorative event honoring the 34th anniversary of the Khojaly genocide was held at the Azerbaijani House in Brussels.

According to the European bureau of Report, the event was organized by the Azerbaijani House and diaspora communities in Belgium, with support from the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Belgium, Luxembourg and to the EU, News.Az reports, citing local media.

Participants included members of the Azerbaijani community from various cities, embassy staff, and Azerbaijani students from local universities. Attendees observed a minute of silence in memory of the martyrs who gave their lives for the country"s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the victims of the Khojaly tragedy.

Emin Rustamov, First Secretary of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Belgium, emphasized the importance of ensuring the international community does not forget this tragic chapter in history and spoke about the ongoing work within the "Justice for Khojaly" international campaign.

According to Rustamov, as a result of the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020 and local counterterrorism operations on September 19–20, 2023, Azerbaijani territories were fully liberated from Armenian occupation.

He noted that the process, which began with the liberation of several villages in Khojaly, concluded with the full restoration of the district in September 2023, marking the achievement of historical justice.

Emin Aliyev, head of the MADANI compatriots' platform, and Aliagha Sultanov, co-founder of the Azerbaijani Cultural Association BUTAM, stressed the importance of honoring the victims of Khojaly and working collectively to engage the international community to prevent similar tragedies in the future.

The event also featured a screening of the short film "Symbol of Khojaly" and a video clip set to "Khojaly", a work by pianist, conductor, and composer Abuzar Manafzada.

Participants were further able to view a photo exhibition documenting those tragic days.

News.Az 

By Ulviyya Salmanli