Brasília Celebrates Victory Day
On November 15, journalist Fabiana Ceyhan, with the support of the Azerbaijani Diaspora Committee, organized an event in Brasília to mark Victory Day. The country’s chairman of the committee on work with Diaspora and former Speaker of Parliament, Fuad Muradov, was represented by Salhat Abassova, head of the department for the Americas, Great Britain, and Israel at the Committee, who traveled to Brazil exclusively for the celebration.
Ceyhan emphasized the importance of the occasion, noting that she was the first Latin American journalist to set foot in the liberated territory of Karabakh. She recalled: “It was during the Covid period. I arrived in Azerbaijan on an empty flight, barely saw beautiful Baku, and went straight to Karabakh. At that time, there were no paved roads, only dirt tracks, and landmines were still being dismantled. As a journalist, I took risks, but I knew I was witnessing history and was certain I was on the right side of it, since that territory has always been recognized by the UN Security Council as part of Azerbaijan.”
In her speech, Salhat Abassova highlighted the global work of the Diaspora and its support for Azerbaijani citizens abroad, stressing the importance of Victory Day: “As many of you know, Azerbaijan went through a very difficult period in its recent history. For more than 30 years, about 20% of our internationally recognized territories were under occupation, and more than one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons. We are proud that Azerbaijan has friends around the world who stand for truth, justice, and peace. Ms. Fabiana Ceyhan is one of those friends, and we deeply value her voice and her support.”
Representing the Embassy, Consul Rafig Rustamov spoke on behalf of Ambassador Rashad Nowruz, underscoring the importance of Victory Day and the unprecedented nature of such a gathering in Brazil, alongside Abassova’s participation.
Political scientist João Zimmer Xavier, a former visiting researcher at ADA University in Baku, explained the historical context: “On November 8, 2020, Azerbaijan regained the historic city of Shusha, the cultural and spiritual symbol of the nation. This achievement ended decades of conflict and paved the way for a future of stability and prosperity. May this spirit of victory and reconstruction inspire our bilateral relations and lead us toward a future of friendship, fair trade, and shared development.”
Victory Day has been commemorated annually on November 8 since 2020, marking the end of the 44-day war, when Azerbaijan regained Shusha, considered the cultural cradle of the nation, located in Karabakh. President Ilham Aliyev declared November 8 as Victory Day to honor the capture of the strategic city, which led to a peace agreement brokered by Russia two days later. He stated: “We have restored our dignity. We will forever live as a victorious nation.”
