Khojaly tragedy commemorated at Imperial College London

Imperial College London, one of the UK's most prestigious universities, hosted an event titled "Stories of Perseverance and Justice: Forced Relocation and Return", marking the 33rd anniversary of the Khojaly genocide.

Organized by the Azerbaijani Society at Imperial College with support from the Society of British Azerbaijanis, the event was attended by Azerbaijani student societies from King's College, the London School of Economics, and Queen Mary University.

The commemoration began with a minute of silence in memory of the Khojaly victims, followed by the screening of a short film on the tragedy.

Aygun Hasanova, chairwoman of the Azerbaijani Society at Imperial College, spoke about the impact of forced displacement on her and her family. "Despite everything, every Garabagh resident never lost hope of returning one day," she said.

Addressing the event, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to the UK, Elin Suleymanov, described the Khojaly genocide as the most tragic page of the Garabagh war. "The events in Khojaly once again showed which side was right and which side was the aggressor," he said, highlighting that former Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan openly admitted this crime. The ambassador added that Azerbaijan's progress, the return of displaced persons, and students like Aygun studying at leading global institutions demonstrate that the Azerbaijani people's resilience could not be broken.

Ambassador Suleymanov, recalling his visits to internally displaced persons camps in Azerbaijan during the 1990s, expressed joy at seeing those displaced finally returning home. He emphasized that President Ilham Aliyev recently visited Khojaly, meeting residents in their newly built homes, and reaffirmed that Azerbaijanis always believed in the triumph of justice.

Aydan Poladova, Deputy Chairman of the Azerbaijan Society at Imperial College, also spoke about her family’s return to their native Jabrayil district, expressing gratitude to President Aliyev.

The event concluded with a violin performance by Honored Artist of Azerbaijan, Jeyla Seyidova, in memory of the Khojaly victims.