AZE.US
On February 26, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and members of their family attended the opening ceremony of the Khojaly Genocide Memorial in the city of Khojaly.
The head of state laid a wreath in front of the memorial. Presidential aide Anar Alakbarov informed the President and the First Lady about the concept and architectural features of the complex.
The memorial was established in accordance with a decree signed by the President in February 2025, with the aim of perpetuating the memory of the victims of the Khojaly tragedy, preserving historical truth, and safeguarding national memory. The project was implemented based on a concept developed by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.
The monolithic structure surrounding the memorial on four sides is designed in the form of symbolic hands attempting to protect the residents of Khojaly. Almond trees – the symbol of the “Justice for Khojaly!” campaign – have been planted in the courtyard. The complex consists of four sections, including exhibition halls and a hall designated for official ceremonies and commemorative events.
President’s Speech
Speaking at the ceremony, President Ilham Aliyev said:
“Two years ago, the foundation stone of the Khojaly Genocide Memorial Complex was laid with my participation. Today, we have gathered for the opening of this Memorial Complex.
The Khojaly genocide is a bloody military crime committed by the Armenian state, by Armenian fascists against Azerbaijanis, against humanity, against mankind.
The responsibility for this crime lies with the Armenian state. In one night, more than 600 innocent civilians were brutally killed – 106 women and 63 children among them. 150 people went missing and it is obvious that they were also killed. The remains of some of them were found after the liberation and laid to rest.
For the Azerbaijani people, this is the greatest tragedy. In order to convey this tragedy to the international community and present our just cause to the world, the Azerbaijani state and public organizations worked actively. As a result of our persistent efforts, nearly 20 countries have officially recognized the Khojaly genocide as genocide, and this process continues.
But the final justice was ensured by us ourselves – through the Patriotic War and the anti-terror operation.
We never reconciled ourselves with occupation and declared that if the issue was not resolved through negotiations, we would restore our territorial integrity by military means – and that is what happened.
We achieved justice through the professionalism, dedication, and courage of our Armed Forces. The liberation of Khojaly and the restoration of our sovereignty marked the triumph of justice.
Azerbaijan today is not the Azerbaijan of 1992. Today our state is strong. We restored our territorial integrity and sovereignty completely. We ensured justice ourselves.
This Memorial Complex was long prepared, and a location had even been selected in Baku. But I believed that the day would come when we would build this memorial in Khojaly itself. And that day has come.
We must never forget the Khojaly genocide. We must always be strong so that such tragedies never happen again.”
Historical Background
On the night of February 25-26, 1992, 613 civilians were killed in Khojaly, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elderly people. Eight families were completely wiped out. Twenty-five children lost both parents, and 132 lost one parent.
The memorial complex has been constructed in the liberated city of Khojaly and is intended to serve as a site of remembrance, official ceremonies, and historical education.
After the ceremony, President Ilham Aliyev left a note in the memorial book and met with representatives of the Khojaly community.