Khojaly massacre victims remembered in US capital

WASHINGTON (AA) - A group of people on Saturday gathered near the US Capitol building in Washington DC to remember victims of the 1992 Khojaly massacre and demand justice for the mass killings.

Azerbaijanis, Turks and Muslim Americans attended the event that began with a minute of silence and singing of the Azerbaijan national anthem.

Participants carried Azerbaijani and Turkish flags, and banners that read "Justice for Khojaly," "Hold Armenian War Criminal Accountable," and "Azerbaijanis Demand Fair Coverage."

They also called for recognition of the massacre as "genocide."

On Feb. 26, 1992, with the Soviet Union just dissolved, Armenian forces took control of Khojaly in occupied Karabakh after battering it with heavy artillery and tanks, assisted by infantry.

The massacre is seen as one of the bloodiest atrocities by Armenian forces against Azerbaijani civilians in the Karabakh region, which was liberated by Azerbaijan forces in November 2020 after decades of occupation.

The two-hour Armenian offensive killed 613 Azerbaijani citizens, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly and seriously injured 487 others, according to Azerbaijani figures.

About 150 of 1,275 Azerbaijanis that Armenia captured during the massacre remain missing.

Eight families were completely wiped out while 130 children lost one parent, and 25 children lost both parents.