First, the leadership and students of Sumgayit State University visited the memorial monument of students and graduates erected in the courtyard of the university and laid flowers in front of the monument. They commemorated the souls of our martyrs who died for the freedom and territorial integrity of our homeland with a minute of silence.

Participants of the event viewed an exhibition of students" handicrafts and paintings.

The event continued in the Great Assembly Hall. The memory of the victims of the Khojaly genocide was commemorated with a minute of silence.

Opening the event, rector professor Elkhan Huseynov spoke about the horrors of the Khojaly tragedy, which was written as a black page in the history of the Azerbaijani people, the path to the Khojaly tragedy and the crime against humanity. They committed the Khojaly massacre with great cruelty. In Khojaly, civilians, including infants, women and the elderly, were killed with special brutality. The Khojaly genocide is a great military crime committed against our people. On the night of February 25-26, 1992, the Armenian armed forces, the 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment stationed in Khankendi (Stepanakert) during the Soviet era, suddenly attacked helpless people with the participation of Armenian militants from abroad. As a result of this genocide, 613 people were killed in Khojaly that night. The rector also stressed that Azerbaijan is taking all necessary steps to convey the truth about Khojaly to the world, to recognize this tragedy as an act of genocide against our people. Purposeful activity in this area began after the return of National Leader Heydar Aliyev to political power in Azerbaijan. It was after the return of Heydar Aliyev to power that the Khojaly tragedy received its true political and legal value. In 1994, on the initiative of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, the Azerbaijani Parliament adopted February 26 as the Day of the Khojaly Genocide. Since then, the Azerbaijanis of the world have been called upon to be active in promoting the genocide around the world. Since then, the Azerbaijani Diaspora has been actively working to convey the truth about Khojaly to the world community. The memory of the victims of the Khojaly genocide is commemorated today in hundreds of cities around the world. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation also has a special role in conveying the truth about the tragedy to the world community. The Foundation implements projects in foreign countries in connection with the Khojaly genocide. The aim is to inform the world community about this genocide and to demonstrate materials reflecting the Armenian atrocities in front of international organizations. "Justice for Khojaly!" initiated by the Foundation"s Vice-President Leyla Aliyeva as part of the campaign, rallies, marches and events are organized in countries around the world. The fact that the Khojaly tragedy was a genocide is reflected in the decisions and resolutions of many countries and international organizations.

Rector Elkhan Huseynov noted that our people avenged the Khojaly genocide by winning a brilliant victory in the Great Patriotic War as a result of the leadership of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev and the heroism of brave soldiers and officers of the Azerbaijani Army. The war ended on November 8 with a great historical victory of our people as a result of the wise, decisive policy, invincible will, leadership skills of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev. Azerbaijan"s territorial integrity has been restored . Our people will never forget the Khojaly tragedy. The memory of those who died in the tragedy will always be honored.

At the event, Khojaly resident, as well as witness of the tragedy Aydin Aliyev recalled the events of 30 years ago with heartache and tears. He noted that his family members and close relatives, like other residents of the city, were brutally tortured by Armenian militants that night. He said that night was engraved in his memory like a nightmare. Although many years have passed, the people of Khojaly are still suffering from those terrible events and are unable to escape the effects of the atrocities committed against the civilian population.

Aydin Aliyev also noted that the targeting of Ganja, Barda, other cities and villages by Armenia with ballistic missiles and cluster bombs during the Great Patriotic War proved once again that although the methods have changed over time, commiting bloody crimes against the civilian population is a state policy pursued by the Armenians. In the 44-day Patriotic War launched by Azerbaijan with Operation Iron Fist in response to Armenian provocations on September 27, 2020, the brave Azerbaijani Army under the leadership of Muzaffar Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev defeated the enemy and avenged the Khojaly victims and all our martyrs.

The event ended with a literary and artistic composition "Unforgettable Khojaly".

In conclusion, the rector thanked the local and foreign students studying at the university for the preparation of the composition.