[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 27 (Friday, February 18, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E279]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       COMMEMORATING THE 19TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KHOJALY MASSACRE

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                            HON. STEVE COHEN

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 17, 2011

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 19th anniversary of 
the Khojaly massacre by Armenian forces on February 25-26, 1992 in the 
town of Khojaly in the Nagorno Karabagh region of Azerbaijan. Khojaly, 
now under the occupation of Armenian forces, was the site of the 
largest killing of ethnic Azerbaijani civilians. Khojaly, once the home 
to 7,000 people, was completely destroyed. Six hundred thirteen people 
were killed, of which 106 were women, 83 were children and 56 were 
purported to have been killed with extreme cruelty and torture. In 
addition, 1,275 people were taken hostage, 150 went missing and 487 
people became disabled. Also in the records maintained, 76 of the 
victims were teenagers, 8 families were wiped out and 25 children lost 
both of their parents while 130 lost one of their parents. According to 
Human Rights Watch and other international observers, the Armenian 
armed forces were reportedly aided by the Russian 366th Motor Rifle 
Regiment.
  At the time, Newsweek magazine reported: ''Azerbaijan was a charnel 
house again last week: a place of mourning refugees and dozens of 
mangled corpses dragged to a makeshift morgue behind the mosque. They 
were ordinary Azerbaijani men, women and children of Khojaly, a small 
village in war-torn Nagorno-Karabakh overrun by Armenian forces on 25-
26 February. Many were killed at close range while trying to flee; some 
had their faces mutilated, others were scalped.''
  As part of the Khojaly population that tried to escape, they 
encountered violent ambushes that led to abuses, torture, mutilation 
and death. The Russian organization, Memorial, stated that 200 
Azerbaijani corpses were brought from Khojaly to Agdam within four 
days.
  Time magazine published the following description: ``While the 
details are argued, this much is plain: something grim and 
unconscionable happened in the Azerbaijani town of Khojaly 2 weeks ago. 
So far, some 200 dead Azerbaijanis, many of them mutilated, have been 
transported out of the town tucked inside the Armenian-dominated 
enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh for burial in neighboring Azerbaijan. The 
total number of deaths--the Azerbaijanis claim 1,324 civilians have 
been slaughtered, most of them women and children--is unknown.''
  The extent of the cruelty of this massacre against women, children 
and the elderly was unfathomable. Mr. Speaker, Azerbaijan is a strong 
ally of the United States in an important and complex region of the 
world. I ask my colleagues to join me and our Azerbaijani friends in 
commemorating the tragedy that occurred in the town of Khojaly.

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