Victims of the Khojaly tragedy commemorated in Chisinau

Chisinau, 26 February /MOLDPRES/ - The victims of the tragedy from Khojaly, Karabakh region of the Republic of Azerbaijan, were commemorated in Chisinau. Today marks the 32nd anniversary of the tragic event, which resulted in the deaths of 613 Azerbaijanis.   

The commemoration event was organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Chisinau. The event began with a minute of silence in memory of the victims of the tragedy. A photographic exhibition illustrating the massacre was presented. Candles were lit and flowers were brought.

Opening the event, the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Chisinau, Ulvi Vagif oglu Bakhshaliyev, said that the night of 25-26 February 1992 was written in black letters in the history of the Azerbaijani people.

"Those actions represented a crime against peaceful citizens. The victims included men, women and children. Their memory will forever be kept in our hearts. It is important that such tragedies should not happen again," said the diplomat.

The chairman of the parliamentary friendship group Moldova - Azerbaijan, MP Vitalie Jacot, stressed that the event represented a difficult ordeal for the Azerbaijani people.

"Citizens have been subjected to aggression. The attack caused great suffering. The Republic of Moldova shared the pain of the Azerbaijani people and conveyed material assistance. It is important that we support peace and democracy so that such events will not repeat again", said Vitalie Jacot.

According to the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Chisinau, on the night of 25-26 February 1992, the Khojaly city was occupied by the armed forces of Armenia with the help of the 366th motorized infantry regiment of the former USSR, following a massive artillery bombardment. As a result of the occupation, 613 people, including 63 children, 106 women and 70 elderly people were killed. At the same time, eight families were completely destroyed, 130 children lost one parent and 25 children lost both parents. The fate of 150 of the 1,275 people taken hostage is still unknown.