The occupation and ethnic cleansing of the Karabaj region of Azerbaijan and its seven surrounding districts, perpetrated by the Armenian Armed Forces in the early 90s, was a tragedy that implied immeasurable atrocities and extreme violence. With the daunting task of expelling 700,000 people from their homes, Armenian leaders resorted to the use of force, resulting in ethnic cleansing that caused numerous humanitarian tragedies. One of the most devastating incidents was the massacre of civilians in Joyalí, a city in the Karabaj region of Azerbaijan, which occurred on the icy morning of February 26, 1992.
On the night of February 25 to 26, 1992, Joyalí became the stage of one of the most horrendous atrocities of the late twentieth century. The massacre, perpetrated by the Armenian Armed Forces during the First Karabaj War, claimed the lives of 613 Azerbaijani civilians, including 106 women, 63 children, and 70 elders. This tragedy remains a deep wound in the national consciousness of Azerbaijan. Today, as Azerbaiyan reflects on this tragedy, recent judgments against former Karabaj separatists who participated in terrorist operations against Azerbaijan mark a significant step towards justice.
The biggest massacre of Karabaj’s conflict
Joyalí, a city with approximately 7,000 inhabitants before the conflict, was strategically important due to its proximity to the only airport in the region and its location near the roads that connected Shushá, Jankendí, and Agdam. At the end of 1991, the city was surrounded by Armenian forces, isolated from terrestrial routes and subject to an implacable blockade. Electricity, gas, and water supplies were cut, leaving the population in a state of extreme vulnerability. On the fateful night of February 1992, the Armenian forces, with the support of the 366th Motorized Rifle Regiment of the former Soviet Union, launched a fierce assault. After an intense artillery bombardment, they attacked the city, targeting civilians with ruthless cruelty.
Survivors of the tragedy describe haunting scenes: families shot while fleeing through snowy forests, mutilated and tortured bodies. Official figures indicate that 1,275 people were taken as hostages, and 150 are still missing to this day. The magnitude and brutality of the violence, which included decapitations, dismemberment, and the use of prohibited weapons, led numerous international observers to qualify the tragic events as genocide, a term that reflects the systematic elimination of an ethnic group. Human Rights Watch described the slaughter as the “greatest massacre” of the Karabaj conflict, attributing direct responsibility to the Armenian forces.
From Azerbaijan’s perspective, the Joyalí massacre was not an isolated event but part of a broader strategy of ethnic cleansing aimed at expelling Azerbaijanis from the sovereign territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The occupation of the Karabaj region and seven surrounding districts resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people, creating a humanitarian crisis that Azerbaijan has faced for decades. Some Armenian leaders of the time recognized the deliberate intention of perpetrating ethnic cleansing through the use of force and violence. For instance, Serzh Sargsyan, former president of Armenia and military commander during the First Karabaj War, later declared in an interview that the massacre broke the “stereotype” that Armenians would not harm civilians, demonstrating a deliberate terror strategy.
Recognition and justice claim
For Azerbaijanis, the Joyalí genocide is more than a historical fact; it is a collective trauma that shapes their identity and worldview. Azerbaijan has worked tirelessly to achieve international recognition of this crime against humanity, comparable to the atrocities of Katyn, Hiroshima, or Srebrenica. Over 15 countries, including Pakistan, Türkiye, and Mexico, as well as 28 US states, have recognized the massacre, using the term “genocide” in their resolutions. The “Justice for Joyalí” campaign has organized commemorative exhibitions and acts worldwide to sensitize the international community and prevent the victims from being forgotten.
Armenian separatists’ judgments
January 2025 marked a significant advance: the trials against 16 former officials of the separatist regime began in Baku. The celebration of these judgments marks a crucial moment in the legal valuation of the crimes perpetrated in the 1990s, including the Joyalí massacre. Azerbaijani prosecutors have accused the detainees of genocide, war crimes, and participation in an illegal armed entity. Among them, Vagif Khacaturyan and Rashid Beglaryan were sentenced to 15 years in prison in judgments held in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The development of these judgments is essential not only to punish the perpetrators but also to ensure that Armenia recognizes these atrocities and offers guarantees against future aggressions. As the world reflects on the tragedy of Joyalí, it is crucial to remember the lives lost and the families torn apart by this senseless violence, working towards a future where such atrocities are never repeated.
