Public Awareness Campaign Launched in U.S. to Raise Awareness of Massacre of Azerbaijanis in Khojaly

WASHINGTON, February 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

- Americans urged to tell Congress and Obama to strengthen U.S-Azerbaijan alliance

Beginning Thursday morning, February 23rd,  a massive advertising and public education campaign will raise Americans' awareness of the massacre of Azerbaijani civilians in the village of Khojaly 20 years ago, during a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.  It will also urge Congress and President Obama to take steps to strengthen the Azerbaijani-American partnership, including rescinding the current Congressional ban on direct U.S. aid to the government of Azerbaijan.  The campaign is being launched by the Azerbaijan America Alliance, based in Washington, DC.

Khojaly is a village in the Nagorno Karabakh region in western Azerbaijan where 613 innocent Azerbaijani civilians were slaughtered on February 26th, 1992.  Ads bringing attention to the 20th anniversary of this tragedy will appear in the New York Times and Washington Post, Washington Metro stations, buses, bus shelters and other transportation venues in Washington DC and New York City, as well as on-line outlets. (See ad at http://www.azerbaijanamericaalliance.org/).

The ads and extensive media outreach efforts will direct Americans to the Alliance's website (http://www.azerbaijanamericaalliance.org), where they will be urged to "Help America by Helping Azerbaijan" and "Honor the victims of the Khojaly massacre" by taking two steps: ask Congress to rescind its prohibition on direct aid to the government of Azerbaijan (Section 907 of the 1992 Freedom Support Act); and ask President Obama to be more actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to resolve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

Also under the auspices of the Azerbaijan America Alliance, Congressional representatives are participating in an educational video that will explain the importance of Azerbaijan to America's security and economic well-being and tell the story of Khojaly.  The video will show how Azerbaijan is a key ally in the war on terror and in Afghanistan and a key source of oil and gas to the West. A small sample of participants include Representatives Michael Grimm (R-NY), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Corrine Brown (D-Florida), Randy Hultgren (R-IL), Ted Pope (R-TX), members of the Illinois State legislature, Azerbaijan Ambassador to the United States Elin Suleymanov.and a wide range of other public officials.

The Azerbaijan America Alliance is a non-partisan, non-profit organization providing information broadly about the people, culture, society, industry, history and current events of the Azeri people. Its mission is to foster an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect between the people of Azerbaijan and America. Through academic discussion, cultural programming, and political discourse, the Alliance aims to become the premier organization dedicated to promoting a lasting partnership between Azerbaijan and America.

Contact: Andrew Frank: +1-212-935-0210