Arizona becomes the 16th U.S. State to recognize the Khojaly Genocide

Arizona State Senate adopted a resolution on Feb. 25, 2015 recognizing and condemning the Khojaly Genocide, which was committed by Armenia against the Azerbaijani civilians in 1992.

The resolution was presented to Azerbaijan’s Consul General in Los Angeles Nasimi Aghayev, who was present at the Senate Floor Session.

The resolution says that on February 25 and 26, 1992, Armenian armed forces occupied the town of Khojaly in Azerbaijan and “killed more than six hundred civilians, wounded more than one thousand civilians; and captured more than one thousand two hundred civilians”.

The document further states: “The Human Rights Watch called it the “largest massacre in the conflict”; major United States and international news organizations reported about the killings with horror; and numerous governments around the world as well as State Legislatures passed resolutions condemning the attack”.

The resolution mentions that the “perpetrators of this carnage are still at large and have not been brought to justice yet”.

“Military forces continue to occupy twenty percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territory, in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and the surrounding seven districts”, the document continues.

It also mentions that “resolutions condemning the occupation of Azerbaijan’s territory by Armenian forces have been passed by the United Nations Security Council and the General Assembly”.

The document concludes by stating that the State Senate of Arizona honors the victims of the Khojaly tragedy, and recognizes February 26, 2015, as the 23rd Anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy.

It is noteworthy that this is the first official document on the Khojaly Genocide adopted by Arizona. Thus Arizona becomes the 16th U.S. State to recognize and condemn the Khojaly Genocide.

The short video of the resolution’s adoption can be viewed here: