The Parliament prepares a bill on Khojaly massacre

The Azerbaijani parliament is preparing a bill on Khojaly tragedy,  announced  on Monday Nizami Safarov,  the head of the department of the Milli Majlis. According to him, the bill will reflect the issue of extradition of perpetrators of international crimes to the second state or an international tribunal. Under this type of crime the bill refers to the planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression, crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide and ethnic cleansing, Safarov said. It should be noted that on 26 February 1992 the Armenian armed forces together with the 366th regiment of Russia took the second largest city of Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh - Khojaly. During the fighting  more than 600 civilians were killed, more than a thousand captured, 150 were missing. In captivity  they were subject to abuse and violence. Hundreds of civilians were shot dead in by the Armenians near the district center of Askeran. The operation was carried out under the leadership of the current President Serzh Sargsyan, who was then commander of the armed forces of Karabakh separatists. The immediate commander of the operation was Colonel Arkady Ter-Tadevosyan.
Ex-Minister of Defense Seyran Ohanyan, the current chief of staff Movses Okapyan and other officers. Participated in those fighting.  Among the perpetrators of this tragedy, there are also Russian officers from the 366 Regiment. A special team of investigators of the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan has established the names of 80 persons guilty of this tragedy. Several human rights organizations have regarded the events in Khojaly as a crime against humanity. -02D-