On the night from February 25-26, 1992, as a continuation of Armenia's long- lasting aggression and ethnic cleansing policy against Azerbaijan, the Armenian armed forces occupied Khojaly with the assistance of the 366th motorized regiment of the former USSR and committed an act of genocide against civil population. 28 years have passed since the Khojaly tragedy.

During this genocide, 613 people, including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly, were murdered with special cruelty and 487 people get various injuries because of their ethnic belonging - being an Azerbaijani. At the same time, eight families were completely annihilated, 130 children lost one of their parents, and 25 children lost both parents, 1275 were subjected to tortures being captured and taken hostage, the fate of 150 of them, including 68 women and 26 children, is still unknown.

In addition, more than 170 million USD was inflicted on the Azerbaijani state and its citizens in connection with the occupation of Khojaly.

In February 1994, at the initiative of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan gave a political-legal assessment of Khojaly Genocide; February 26 is announced as the "Day of Khojaly Genocide".

According to the UN General Assembly Resolution 96 (I) of December 11, 1946 and Resolution 260 (III) of December 9, 1948, "On the Prevention and Punishment of Crime of Genocide" this mass killing of human beings committed by the Armenian aggressors in Khojaly is a genocide.

Genocide in Khojaly is not the first systematic crime committed against Azerbaijanis, but is one of the worst crimes of genocide committed by Armenia against the peaceful Azerbaijani population during the occupation war against Azerbaijan. Previously, the alongside with the occupation of Baganis Ayrim village of Gazakh district of Azerbaijan bordering Armenia, Imarat Gharvand, Tugh, Selaketin, Akhullu, Khojavand, Jamilli, Nebiler, Mesheli, Hasanabad, Karkijahan, Gaybali, Malibeyli, Upper and Lower Gushchular villages of Nagorno-Karabakh where Azerbaijanis lived, the civil Azerbaijanis were killed in a deliberate way with special brutality. Besides, more than 80 civilians in Garadagly village and 67 civilians in Agdaban village, including children, women and the elderly, were tortured and brutally killed, dozens of people were taken hostage, became missing, and villages burned and exterminated.