[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 38 (Wednesday, February 26, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E220]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         OBSERVING THE 27TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KHOJALY MASSACRE

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                           HON. STEVE CHABOT

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 26, 2020

  Mr. CHABOT. Madam Speaker, I rise to remember the victims of the 
Khojaly Massacre, and mark the 28th Anniversary of this attack. 
Azerbaijanis remember this tragedy as the darkest chapter in the 
Azerbaijan-Armenian conflict.
  In the fall of 1991, Armenian and Soviet forces surrounded the town 
of Khojaly in the region of Nagorno-Karabakh. After bombarding the 
city, these forces attacked on the night of February 25 and on the 26, 
killing 600 innocent Azerbaijanis, including women, children, and 
elderly people. Hundreds more were left severely disabled from the 
attacks. In a 1992 report, Human Rights Watch stated that the attacks 
on fleeing civilians ``deliberately disregarded . . . customary law 
restraint''.
  The victims of Khojaly remind us of the value of peace. 
Unfortunately, the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh is still ongoing, 
despite the efforts of the United States and international community to 
foster a negotiated settlement. I call on all parties involved to 
productively engage with the Minsk Process to find a peaceful 
resolution to this decades old conflict.
  The horrific events in Khojaly almost three decades ago lead us to 
mourn the innocent civilians who lost their lives that day. I encourage 
my colleagues to join with me and the Azerbaijani people as they 
remember this tragedy.

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