As tensions with Armenia remain high, Azerbaijan commemorated the 32nd anniversary of the notorious Khojaly Massacre, where Armenian forces slaughtered Azerbaijan civilians in an eponymous town in Azerbaijan's Karabakh. Stating on the occasion, the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan's main ally, Türkiye, described it as a "dark stain on the history of humanity."

The Karabakh region had been the site of mass killings and burials since the First Karabakh War in the early 1990s, during which the Armenian military illegally occupied Nagorno-Karabakh – a territory internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan – and seven adjacent regions.

The town of Khojaly saw a two-hour Armenian offensive that killed 613 Azerbaijani civilians – including 106 women, 63 children and 70 elderly people – and seriously injured 487 others. Some 150 of the 1,275 Azerbaijanis that the Armenians captured during what has now been called the Khojaly Massacre remain missing, while eight families were completely wiped out. Commemorative events are taking place across the country, including the capital Baku, to honor the memory of those killed.

A day earlier, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that a "policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide" against Azerbaijanis was carried out by Armenia along with "crimes against humanity" in various settlements in the region. The ministry said that one of the worst atrocities in this regard was committed against residents of Khojaly. The statement said that the use of heavy weaponry, investigative materials on atrocities committed against local civilians, eyewitness testimonials, as well as the confession of top Armenian officials at the time, are proof that the event was a planned and "deliberate crime of genocide." It further said the massacre grossly violated international humanitarian law, human rights law and various international conventions, indicating that the failure to end Armenia’s impunity led to the continuation of existing practices.

"From this perspective, the world community’s support for measures taken at the national and international level to end the impunity of criminals, as well as collaboration in this field are critical," the statement said. "On this 32nd anniversary of the tragedy, we remember with deepest respect and honor the memories of the innocent victims of Armenia’s ethnic hatred and genocidal crimes, including the Khojaly genocide," it added.

Şücayet Hüseyinova, a relative of a victim of the massacre, told Ihlas News Agency (IHA) as she visited the monument that they were sad but at the same time, "proud." "I am proud because our flag is flying in Khankendi, Khojaly, Lachin, Shusha, Aghdam. I am no longer worried because our lands, our Karabakh are liberated from the enemies," she said. Azerbaijan captured Karabakh in the Second Karabakh War in 2020 and eliminated remaining Armenian separatists in the region after a lightning offensive last year.

Mehriban Ahundova, sister of Mezahir Ebilov who was killed in the Kholajy Massacre, echoed the same sentiment. "We went through great pain but this time, we are both crying and proud. Azerbaijan is finally fully united," she said.

Commemoration events were also held across Türkiye, from Istanbul to the capital of Ankara, for victims of the massacre. Turkish Ambassador in Baku Cahit Bağcı was among those visiting a monument in Baku representing the victims where he paid his respects to victims. Türkiye has always backed Azerbaijan in its fight for justice for the victims of the massacre and its territorial rights in places illegally occupied by Armenia.

New mass grave

Azerbaijan said on Friday that it received information on the discovery of a new mass grave in Khojaly.

A statement by Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's Office said its district office in Khojaly received information on Wednesday about human remains discovered during excavations in the city center near a former carpet factory. The dig was conducted as part of restoration and construction efforts in Khojaly, the statement said, adding that a team from the office, other government bodies and the Azerbaijan delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was forwarded the location.

The statement further noted that the investigation discovered bone fragments, which were then collected for laboratory examination and expert analysis. "As a result of the procedural actions carried out until now, the human remains discovered in the area belong to at least four people (one of them, presumably, a 4-5-year-old child); it was determined that they were being tortured, tied with ropes and buried at least 25 years ago," it added. The criminal department of the Prosecutor General's Office has launched a full investigation into the incident, with updates to be publicly available.