The memory of the victims of the Khojaly genocide was commemorated in Italy

On February 26, a conference on the 32^nd anniversary of the Khojaly genocide was held in the Italian Senate.

Speaking at the conference "Justice for Khojaly: the path to peace", Senator Marco Scurria, chair of the Italian-Azerbaijani interparliamentary friendship group in the Italian Senate, emphasized that the Khojaly tragedy is one of the most cruel crimes against humanity. He said that this tragedy was the biggest and most terrible massacre of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, according to Human Rights Watch.

The senator said that he was saddened by the bitter consequences of the Khojaly genocide, that it was impossible to deny the Khojaly tragedy, and that it was important to honor the victims of the Khojaly tragedy for the sake of international law and justice. He noted the importance of achieving a fair and sustainable peace that will benefit the peoples of Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Senator Giulio Terzi di Sant'Agata, chair of the European Union policy commission in the Italian Senate, said that hundreds of peaceful Azerbaijanis were killed by Armenian armed units and Soviet regiments in Khojaly. He said that this bloody tragedy is the biggest massacre of the Garabagh war. Punishing those responsible for the Khojaly genocide is the basis for reconciliation between nations.

The senator emphasized that the European Court of Human Rights, in its decision dated April 22, 2010, defined the massacre of the civilian population of Khojaly as "particularly serious acts that can be considered as war crimes or crimes against humanity."

Chair of the Italian Federation of Human Rights-Italian Helsinki Committee, professor Antonio Stango, said that the events of Khojaly are described as a crime of genocide according to international law, including the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. He said that the Khojaly tragedy is part of Armenia's ethnic cleansing policy against the Azerbaijani people. In order to prevent such genocidal crimes from happening again, it is important to give a legal and political assessment of the Khojaly tragedy.

Fabrizio Conti, the creative director of the Italian company "Artcloud Network International" said that the atrocities and war crimes committed by Armenians in Khojaly are among the bloodiest pages of modern history. He said that he often visited the regions liberated by Azerbaijan from occupation, witnessed Armenian vandalism, and heard from witnesses the crimes of ethnic cleansing and genocide committed against Azerbaijanis.

Natalino Ronzitti, professor of international law at LUISS University, emphasized the importance of giving a legal and political evaluation to the Khojaly tragedy.

In his speech, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Italy Rashad Aslanov talked about the facts of Khojaly and the genocide crimes committed by Armenians 32 years ago. He said that 613 people, including 63 children, 106 women, 70 elderly people were brutally murdered during the cruel genocide committed by the Armenian armed forces in Khojaly, 8 families were completely destroyed, 25 children lost both parents, 130 children lost one of their parents, 76 487 people, including children, were injured, 1275 people were captured and 150 people were missing.

The diplomat emphasized that those who committed a bloody crime in Khojaly should be brought to justice.

Later, a video was shown about the vicious consequences of the Khojaly genocide. The conference was broadcast live on the social media platforms of the Italian Senate.