JANUARY 20, 1990 (BLOODY JANUARY)
On the night of January 19-20, 1990, former Soviet troops committed an unprecedented massacre of civilians in Baku who rose up to establish an independent state and gain their sovereignty. This bloody crime has not been able to extinguish the people's love for freedom, and our people have gained their state independence, albeit at the cost of their blood.
This crime committed against the people of Azerbaijan is, in fact, a terrible act of terrorism against humanity. The tragedy killed 147 Azerbaijani citizens, injured 638 people, and illegally arrested 841 people, as a result of which the requirements of many international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, were grossly violated.
National leader Heydar Aliyev, who arrived at the permanent representation of Azerbaijan in Moscow after the events of January 20 in Baku, strongly condemned the atrocity at a press conference, calling the terror against the people a violation of law, democracy, and humanity. Even in the days of the Soviet empire, the Great Leader's statement proved once again that only great personalities make great strides in politics.
The tragedy of January 20, which has become a symbol of national unity and patriotism, is a glorious history of the struggle of our people for their freedom. Every year on the anniversary of the tragedy, millions of people visit the Alley of Martyrs, built on the highest point of the capital, to commemorate their heroes. While commemorating the memory of the martyrs with deep respect, we recall the words of our national leader Heydar Aliyev: “Those who died in the January 20 tragedy are national heroes, they are the heroes of our nation. Their death is a great loss for us, for our people. But at the same time, their martyrdom is a symbol of the heroism of our people. Their blood is the blood of all our people. In every drop of that blood, there is the power and heroism of our people, our people have the desire for national freedom and independence.