On February 26, the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of MSE AR hosted an event commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the Khojaly tragedy. The event began with a minute of silence in honor of the victims of Khojaly.

In her opening remarks, Vice-President of ANAS, Director General of the Institute, Academician Irada Huseynova stated that the Khojaly genocide is one of the most horrific tragedies of the 20th century. The terrifying scenes of this unprecedented tragedy will forever remain in the memory of every Azerbaijani. On the night of February 25-26, 1992, Armenian armed forces used heavy military equipment against the peaceful population of Khojaly, resulting in the killing of 613 innocent Azerbaijanis, including 63 children, 106 women, and 70 elderly people. Eight families were completely wiped out, 25 children lost both parents, and 130 children lost one parent. Additionally, 487 people, including 76 children, were injured, and 1,275 people were taken captive.

 The Khojaly genocide is one of the most tragic chapters in the policy of genocide carried out by Armenian nationalists against our people for over two centuries. Academician Huseynova emphasized that thanks to the resolute policy of the Victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev and the bravery of the glorious Azerbaijani Army, the occupied lands were liberated, and justice was served for the victims of the Khojaly genocide on the battlefield. Today, the perpetrators of the Khojaly massacre are being held accountable for their crimes in court.

Academician Irada Huseynova also spoke about the international awareness campaign "Justice for Khojaly!" initiated by Mrs. Leyla Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, in 2008. Today, hundreds of thousands of people and 115 organizations worldwide support this campaign. The academician also highlighted the invaluable contribution of the late journalist Chingiz Mustafayev in documenting the scale and horrors of the tragedy.

Following this, Corresponding Member of ANAS Ibrahim Azizov, Doctor of Biological Sciences Shahniyar Bayramov, and PhD in Biology Nurmammad Mustafayev addressed the event. The speakers emphasized that the horrific massacre committed by Armenians in Khojaly will never be forgotten by our people. The Armenian perpetrators will face justice and receive the punishment they deserve, and the blood of our martyrs will not go unavenged.

The event concluded with the screening of a video dedicated to the Khojaly tragedy.