20 JANUARY TRAGEDY ENTERED THE HISTORY OF THE SOVIET EMPIRE AS ONE OF THE MOST BLOODY CRIMES AGAINST ITS CITIZENS

Baku, January 19 (AzerTAc). Ombudsman of the Azerbaijan Republic has disseminated a statement in connection with 19th anniversary of the bloody massacre committed in Baku on the night over 19 to 20 January, 1990.

The Statement is addressed to the UN Secretary General, the High Commissioner for
Human Rights, OSCE, the Council of Europe, the international and European institutes
of ombudsman, the Asian Association of Ombudsmen, the International Peace Bureau
(IPB), Universal Peace Federation, ombudsmen of various countries, the embassies of
the Azerbaijan Republic in foreign countries and of the foreign countries in
Azerbaijan, Diaspora organizations of Azerbaijan.

The document states that the bloody tragedy the Azerbaijani people faced on January
20, 1990, was included into shameful history of the Soviet Empire as an example of
unknown evil deed and remained in the history of mankind as one of the bloody crimes
committed by the state against its citizens.

The basis of this terrible event has been established at the time of the policy of
“perestroika” ("reorganization") at the then USSR. Over the night on 19 to 20
January, 1990, special military formations and armors under instruction of heads of
the Soviet Empire attacked to the cities of Baku and Sumgait, and also many regions
of Azerbaijan, and the innocent people were punished with special cruelty and
unprecedented evil acts. Hundreds of unarmed people who rose to protect their native
lands, independence and sovereignty were killed, wounded, including old men, women
and children, many were missing, and serious damage was caused to the office
buildings, apartment houses, vehicles.

As a result of joint operation of the Ministries of Defense and Internal Affairs,
Committee of State Security of the former USSR, the troops armed to the teeth, from
several directions entered Baku and only in the capital ruthlessly murdered more
than 130 civilians, while over 600 people were wounded, and was caused huge
destructions. During the attack, as later was known, the forbidden bullets have been
used, were subjected to gunfire even the ambulances and the doctors who were taking
out the wounded and injured, and many medical workers got wounds and became martyrs.


The document states that with this crime the Soviet Empire supported the political
forces of Armenia, as a result there was a long-term Armenian aggression carried out
against Azerbaijan, ethnic cleansing, the genocides in Karkijahan, Garadagli and
Khojali settlements of Azerbaijan, 20 percent of Azerbaijani lands were occupied,
the population was forcibly ousted from territory of Armenia, from Nagorno Karabakh
and the adjacent regions, one million of people that is every eighth person, being
deported from native homelands became refugees and IDPs.



This bloody action directed against humanity showed to the world cruelty, falsity
and the break-up of the Soviet regime, gave a strong impulse to strengthening of
fighting spirit of the Azerbaijani people in struggle for independence and freedom.
The empire committing punishment with the purpose to approve its rule in Azerbaijan
faced a return result.

The political-legal assessment to this tragedy was first given by the nationwide
leader Heydar Aliyev. Still on January 21, 1990, he came to Representation of
Azerbaijan in Moscow and made sharp statement expressing his attitude to this
monstrous event. The great leader, having demanded to give political assessment to
the massacres committed in Baku, to punish the culprits, and to perpetuate memory of
the martyrs, and declare this date the day of national grief. Under his initiative
for the first time the Milli Majlis (Parliament) gave political and legal assessment
to this event, and it was declared that this tragedy was made to suppress struggle
of the Azerbaijani people for freedom and independence.

In Baku, in memory of the martyrs a grandiose memorial was erected, the area where
they were buried became a place of oath for compatriots. The state renders permanent
care and assistance to the families of martyrs, the persons who have lost physical
health. According to the Decree of the President of the country, the citizens of the
Azerbaijan Republic, lost during 20 January aggression and who demonstrated high
patriotism and courage, was bestowed the honorary title “Shahid of January 20”, and
according to the Order from January 15, 2003 “On increase of the state care for the
persons who became invalids during the events on January 20, 1990”, the amount of
the monthly grant paid to invalids was increased. The annual budget of the State
Fund of Social Protection for the persons, who have become invalids during the
events on January 20, provides corresponding grant, besides, the presidential grant
is paid to these families.

Annually, the 20 January is marked in the country as day of national grief and the
people remember selflessness of the courageous sons of Azerbaijan.

During the massacre committed on January 20, 1990, in Azerbaijan against the
peaceful population, as a result of the monstrous acts made against humanity, the
positions of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and also other
international legal documents on human rights have been roughly infringed.

With the sense of regret it has to be noticed that the tragedy on January 20, marked
with mass infringement of human rights, till now has not been duly and legally
assessed at the international level.

The Statement ends in following words: “We hope that the world community, the
international organizations will support our fair requirements that the antihumane,
antidemocratic and monstrous crime directed against the Azerbaijani people, prepared
in advance and accompanied by rough and mass infringement of human rights, will
shortly receive the international legal assessment and that the culprits will not
renmain unpunished”.