“Thirty-six years ago, the leadership of the Soviet Union, under the direct instructions of Mikhail Gorbachev, committed a brutal massacre against the people of Azerbaijan who were struggling for independence and freedom by deploying troops to Baku.”
These remarks were made by Aydin Huseynov, a member of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly), in a statement to the Operative Information Center-OMM regarding the 36th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy.
The MP noted that as a result of the events on the night of January 19-20, 1990, more than 130 Azerbaijanis were martyred and hundreds of people were wounded.
According to him, these events were the result of the insidious and deliberate policy of the Gorbachev leadership directed against the Azerbaijani people.
Aydin Huseynov emphasized that during the most intense period of the events – one day after the January 20 tragedy – National Leader Heydar Aliyev came to Azerbaijan's permanent mission in Moscow and held a press conference, an act that served as an example of great courage.
The MP stated that the current President, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, also participated in that press conference at a young age.
“This fact shows that National Leader Heydar Aliyev and his family members stood by the people, risking their lives, as danger could have arisen at any moment during that period. Despite this, the Great Leader's endless love for his people prompted him to make this historic statement,” the MP added.
According to him, Heydar Aliyev provided the international community with extensive and comprehensive information about the January 20 tragedy at that press conference, conveying the true essence of Gorbachev's hypocritical policy to the world. Following this courageous position, new massacres planned for Ganja, Lankaran, and other cities and regions were prevented, just as they were in Baku.
Aydin Huseynov stated that as years pass, the memory of the January 20 martyrs is commemorated with even greater respect by the people of Azerbaijan. He noted that National Leader Heydar Aliyev signed a special decree regarding the commemoration of January 20 as a day of tragedy, a tradition that continues today.
The MP noted that currently, the family members of the January 20 martyrs are constantly surrounded by state attention and care. The social policy implemented under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev is a clear example of the high respect shown to these families.
Finally, Aydin Huseynov emphasized that although January 20 is a tragic date, it is also a day of pride for the Azerbaijani people:
“January 20 is the embodiment and symbol of the Azerbaijani people's struggle for freedom. This date will live forever in the memory of our nation.”
The January 20 tragedy, also known as "Black January," is regarded as a turning point in the history of modern Azerbaijan. The intervention by the Soviet army was intended to suppress the independence movement and the protest against the territorial claims of Armenia. However, the event instead accelerated the collapse of Soviet rule in the country and led to the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence in 1991. Every year, thousands of people visit the Alley of Martyrs in Baku to pay tribute to those who gave their lives for the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
