SSU is conducting a set of the events dedicated to “Khojali” genocide due to the Order of the President “about the conduction of the 25th anniversary of “Khojali” genocide”. All faculties are involved to memorize this date. The administration of the university is arranging the meetings with the witnesses of the genocide as well. As a part of those events SSU held a conference on February 22, dedicated to the subject “Khojali in the history of genocides made against Azerbaijan”. 
At first, the participants of the event took part in the exhibition of photos, newspaper and journal materials, arranged in foyer of the university, which were reflecting the bloody tragedies of that genocide.
Afterwards, the participants stood for 1 minute of silence in order to memorize the victims of the genocide and all ones, sacrificed their lives for the sake of the homeland.       
Making an opening speech, the rector of the university Mr. E. Huseynov said: “already 25 years were passed since that tragedy, which made a bloody trace in the history of humanity. The genocide had been made in the night of February 25/26. Armenian armed forces together with soldiers and military equipment of 366 infantry regiment, left since USSR period and located in Khankende region, attacked and ruined the ancient land Khojali. Generally, that regiment was consisting of the soldiers of Armenian origin. Khojali genocide is the result of the ethnic cleaning and genocide policy, pursued by the Armenian nationalists and their supporters during last 200 years. During the massacre 613 people were found dead, which was consisting of 63 children, 106 women and 70 old people. Meanwhile, 8 families completely destroyed, 487 people had been injured that 76 of them were the children, 25 children lost their two parents, 130 children lost their one parent and 1275 people were taken as a captive. This atrocity will always remain in the memories of the people”. Besides, the speaker pointed out that the government of Azerbaijan of that time has not made any attempts in order to deliver the facts about this big tragedy to the society of the world. This bloody tragedy has gained the legal and political status only since the return of great leader Haydar Aliyev, which came to power on people’s request. In this respect, the parliament has declared February 26 as a Day of Khojali genocide, which made on initiative of great leader Haydar Aliyev. Every year the anniversary of this tragedy is held with big heartbreak in Azerbaijan and different countries of the world. The country is organizing a set of the events every year in order to deliver the realities of the tragedy to world’s society, which promoted by the Haydar Aliyev Fund, led by the vise-president of Azerbaijan Republic Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva. Especially, the vise-president of fund Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva is playing a big role for the promotion of this activity. The fund arranged a campaign “Justice for khojali” namely on her initiative. All these realized activities revealed the real face of Armenian propaganda, based on falsehood and fakeness. Already, that tragedy has gained a status of genocide by the resolutions of the different countries and international organizations. Our nation is completely sure that the justice will be restored. The rector especially pointed out the activity of the President Mr. I. Aliyev in this direction. Namely, he spoke about the attempts of him, which targeted to deliver the realities of the tragedy to the world society and to propagate that in the world.  
The director of the Institute of History after A.A. Bakkikhanov attached to Azerbaijan NAS and parliamentarian of National Assembly of Azerbaijan Republic Mr. Yaqub Makhmudov made a speech on subject “Khojali in the history of the genocides, made against Turkish Muslim nations” and said that: “one of the scientific directions that currently under the research is the history of the genocides, made against our nation. In the last decades, the Institute of History revealed a big amount of the documents reflecting the facts of the genocide against the nation of Azerbaijan, made by the different countries worldwide. All these materials have been published and the historians of our country made a lot of scientific works accordingly based on these materials. For instance, the genocides, made against Azerbaijan and Eastern Anadolu in 1914-1918 by the Armenian extremists and terrorists by the support of powerful states are one of the horrible genocides of the world’s history. “Dashnaksutyun” party took an active part of these terrible events, which is one of the terror organizations of Armenians. And the active member of that organization is a Stepan Shaumyan. So pity, his name has been mentioned in the history of the Soviet Union as a brave Bolshevik. Besides, only in 20th century Azerbaijani people experienced genocides and ethnic cleaning four times in the different years as follows: 1905 – 1906, 1918 – 1920, 1948 – 1953 and 1988 -1993. Khojali genocide is the last one of 200 years bloody history of our nation”. Thereby, the speaker made an announcement about the Fourth International Scientific Conference to be held in the upcoming future. The conference will be dedicated to the “genocides made against Turkish nation in 20th  century”. Historians of Azerbaijan and scientists of the different countries will take part of that conference. Deportation and genocides, made against Turkish people by Armenians will be the subject of the conference.
Meanwhile, the following people had a chance to make a speech accordingly:
Mr. Adil Bakhshaliyev (head of department of History and Geography of SSU)  made a speech on “One of the big tragedies of 20th century – Khojali genocide”; Mr. Jabi Bakhramov ( deputy director of the Institute of History after A.A. Bakikhanov attachéd to ANAS)  widely spoke about “Deportation genocide of Azerbaijani people in 20th century is a crime”; Mr. Shirkhan Salimov (head department of New and newest history of America and European countries) dedicated his speech to “Genocide made by Armenian in Shamakhi (1918)” and Mrs. Gultekin Najafli (an assoc. professor of Institute of History after A.A. Bakhikhanov attached to ANAS) shared about “The new archives of the genocides made in Azerbaijan and Eastern Anadolu” 
In the end, the head of department of Institute of History Mr. Shahin Fazil said a verse with a heartbreak, which was dedicated to “Khojali“.  

Press Service