Dear compatriots!
Today we revere with a sense of sorrow the memory of victims in the Khojaly tragedy, gone down to history of our people and humanity as one of the most terrible mass acts of terrorism. On February 26, 1992, the Armenian armed formations equipped with most modern weapons with the support and direct participation of Motor Riffle regiment 366 of the former Soviet Union razed Khojaly to the ground and committed massacre of helpless innocent peaceful people - children, women and the old.
This cruel act of aggression became an unprecedented crime implemented not only against Khojaly population, but also against the whole humanity. In XX century the Armenians repeatedly commited aggression and genocide against the Azerbaijani people. But the most terrible of them was perpetrated in Khojaly.
However, it should be noted that the defenders of Khojaly showed themselves as heroes, they struggled in the unequal battle till the last drop and demonstrated an example of true heroism and courage.
Turning back to the Khojaly tragedy, we witness the feebleness and weakness of the leadership of Azerbaijan that was conducting to this tragedy by criminal negligence to their duties. The authorities of the republic responsible for providing the defense of every citizen were absolutely inactive and indifferent to the fate of the people and paid its main attention to the struggle for power.
Unfortunately the world community remained indifferent to this terrible tragedy, act of genocide, which took place before the eyes our contemporaries and didn\'t give it a moral and political evaluation.
The current leadership of Azerbaijan forces the task of creating the objective view of the Khojaly tragedy, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, the problem of the Nagorno-Karabakh for the political circles and international community and show all the details, the character and scale of crimes committed against our people, unmask the Armenian nationalists, who pretend to be an oppressed and long-suffering nation. On the one hand it is our sacred duty before the memory of the victims of genocide, on the other hand, this is necessary for not giving an opportunity to similar inhuman actions in the world.
Revering the memory of Khojaly victims, we think about the conscience and civic duty before them. The right way is to live by the ideals for which the heroes of Khojaly gave their life, defend the independent Azerbaijan ensure the inviolability of its borders and territorial integrity.
On this day of national sorrow I bow to the sacred memory of the innocent victims of Khojaly tragedy, express my condolences to their families and relatives, to all our people. May our martyrs rest in peace.
Heydar Aliyev
Baku city, February 24, 2001