February 24, 2014 - 16:20 AMT
Azeri-sponsored Spanish footballers fail to commemorate “Khojalu victims”

Recently, Azeri media reported that Spanish football club Atletico Madrid will wear black armbands in commemoration of "Khojalu genocide victims" in La Liga matches against Osasuna and Real Madrid.

Also, the reports claimed, Turkish midfielder Arda Turan along with his Atletico Madrid teammates will feature in a video "condemning the Khojalu genocide" and supporting peace globally.

In 2012, Atletico Madrid announced to have signed a “strategic agreement” with Azerbaijan. The €12 million agreement saw the country’s tourism motto - ‘Azerbaijan – Land of Fire’ - emblazoned on the front of Atletico’s playing jerseys until the end of the 2013/14 La Liga season.

However, according to Haqqin.az, Atletico players wore no armbands during La Liga matches, nor were the "Khojalu genocide victims" commemorated with a minute of silence.

Azeri media went on to accuse Baku FC president Hafiz Mammadov who could “obligate Atletico to show respect to the memories of “victims”.”

“Seems like the multimillion dollar contract would be enough of a reason for that,” the media said, slamming Mammadov for “spending millions on footballers’ jerseys, while unable to force the club to respect his country.”

The events in Khojalu, which led to the deaths of civilians, were the result solely of political intrigues and power struggle in Azerbaijan. The real reasons are most convincingly reflected in the accounts of Azerbaijanis themselves — as participants in and eyewitnesses of what happened — as well as of those who know the whole inside story of the events in Baku. Khojalu, along with Shushi and Agdam, was one of the main strongholds from which Stepanakert, the capital of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic, was shelled continuously and mercilessly for the three winter months of 1991/92 with artillery, missiles and launchers used for targeting cities. Knocking out the weapon emplacements in Khojalu and thus freeing the airport were the only way for the Nagorno Karabakh Republic to ensure the physical survival of its population condemned by Azerbaijan to complete annihilation. The daily shelling of Stepanakert from nearby Khojalu took the lives of hundreds of peaceful inhabitants.