(EXCLUSIVE) Dmitry Savelyev: Khojaly tragedy is one of most terrible crimes against humanity

Khojaly tragedy was one of the most terrible crimes against humanity, the head of the Russian-Azerbaijani parliamentary group, State Duma Deputy Dmitry Savelyev told Vestnik Kavkaza following his visit to Turkey's Kayseri, where the monument to Khojaly victims was unveiled.

"Obviously, this absolutely monstrous tragedy was genocide, and all those involved in the commission of this terrible crime should be held accountable. In fact. the Khojaly massacre determined the essence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. It was one of the most terrible crimes against humanity, a demonstration of what happens when political ambitions are placed over the value of human life. This is a memory of the fact that some statesmen need to realize that violence only begets violence," the MP stressed.

According to him, the decision to create a park and a monument to the Khojaly victims in Kayseri cannot be overestimated. "This is a vivid reminder of how fragile our world is, a reminder of the need to protect it together. 26 years ago, the people of Azerbaijan experienced a terrible tragedy. The peoples of Russia and Turkey, as well as the entire civilized world, have been grieving with the fraternal Azerbaijani people. We are unanimous in the fact that this horror should never be repeated," Dmitry Savelyev noted.

On February 26, 1992, Armenian military committed an act of genocide against the population of the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly. As many as 613 people were killed and 487 were injured as a result of the massacre. Some 1,275 innocent residents were taken hostage.