The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Ombudsman) Sabina Aliyeva participated in a commemorative event organized in Ankara on the 33rd anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, organized by the Grand National Assembly of Turkiye, the Turkiye-Azerbaijan Friendship, Cooperation, and Solidarity Association and the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Turkiye.

Axar.az reports that the press service of the Ombudsman's Office said that during her speech at the event, the Commissioner noted that as a result of Armenia's long-term occupation, ethnic cleansing, and genocide policy against Azerbaijanis, hundreds of thousands of innocent people were killed on a mass scale and forced to live as refugees and internally displaced persons. The Commissioner provided detailed information about the genocide committed against the civilian population in Khojaly on the night of February 25-26, 1992 by Armenia, which disregarded the norms and principles of international law.

Sabina Aliyeva noted that despite the passage of 33 years, the Khojaly genocide has not yet been fully assessed politically and legally by international organizations and world states, and stressed the importance of fully assessing this tragedy and holding the perpetrators accountable.

Stating that about 4 thousand of our compatriots went missing during the First Karabakh War, including 150 during the Khojaly genocide, the Ombudsman stated that despite repeated appeals to Armenia, accurate information about the fate of these individuals has not yet been obtained. She noted that mass graves were discovered during construction, reconstruction, and search and excavation works carried out in our lands liberated from occupation, and that the identities of about 170 people have been identified so far.

The Commissioner also drew attention to the fact that our compatriots became refugees from the territories of present-day Armenia at various times in the last century, their fundamental rights and freedoms were grossly violated, and settlements and historical and religious monuments were destroyed. The Ombudsman emphasized the importance of ensuring the violated rights and freedoms of ethnic Azerbaijanis and their safe and dignified return to their native lands.