TRAGEDY OF JANUARY 20 REMEMBER
Azerbaijan commemorates 1990 tragedy
Islamabad - The People of the Azerbaijan Republic on January 20, Wednesday, commemorated victims of "Black January" - the most tragic event in the modern history of Azerbaijan, when the Soviet army occupied. Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, at midnight of January, 20, 1990. Hundreds of innocent unarmed people were shot that day on streets of Baku, and other cities of Azerbaijan and more than 700 were wounded, says a press release issued by the Azerbaijan embassy here.
The cruel use of force by the Soviet army units in Azerbaijan on the order of Mikhail Gorbachyev was another manifestation of the policy of intimidation pursued earlier in Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Georgia and Lithuania. Under the protest of restoring constitutional order unprecedented bloody attack was aimed at crushing opposition movement in Azerbaijan's bid for independence and preventing the dissolution of the communist regime.
In the autumn of 1989, the national independent movement had reached an incredible moment when hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating for the ideals of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Black January became a turning point in the history of Azerbaijan.
Commemoration ceremonies were all over the country and flags were flying half-mass in cities and rural areas. A ceremony of mourning for the victims of 1990 was held in Shahidlar Hiyabani (Martyrs Cemetery) in Baku.
"The Pakistan Observer"
January 22, 1999
Embassy of Azerbaijan observes "Black January"
By our Staff Reporter
Islamabad - The diplomats and peoples of Azerbaijan in Islamabad observed "Black January" on Thursday to mark the Armenian invasion of their country in 1990, which left over a million Azerbaijanians as refugees in their own country, thousands dead and many more injured.
The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Islamabad issued a Press release on this occasion to recall the memory of the victims of "Black January" of the year 1990. According to the Press release issued by the Embassy here, today on the first of February of 1990 there were 706 people who came to the health institutions of Azerbaijan to ask for help. The institution of forensic medicine registered 84 cases, including 73 cases with bullet wounds (including 16 at the back), 8 cases of those who were run over by the armored troop-carriers and two cases with bayonet wounds.
"As per the fifth of January, 1990, 170 people were killed including six Russians and seven Jews, Tatars and Lezgins. Among those killed were six woman and nine children and teenagers. As many as 370 people were wounded, and 321 people were missing. During those tragic events, the doctors, who tired to reach the wounded, were killed, the ambulances were fired at and a children's hospital and many dwelling houses were also targeted." the Press release said.
The Press release said that the instability, serving for independence an sovereignty in the Caucasian Republics of former Soviet Union, will their mosaic ethnic composition started to increase army before the collapse of the USSR.
"As that time the political situation in one of the republics of the Caucasus, i.e. Azerbaijan was very grave an repealed and increasing signals start coming to the Soviet leadership the Union measures were determining
"The central government of the Soviet Union, supporting a separate movement of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, reorder military assistance to them and to the Republic of Armenia, which laid territories claims to Azerbaijan to suppress its national liberation movement and striving of people for independence.
"The Soviet leadership trying a restore control over them used military forces in January 20, 1990 in Baku, Azerbaijan. This tragic event was not only counter-productive, but also bad a highly destabilizing effects which resulted in mass anti-Soviet and anti-Communist activities in Azerbaijan. "The people of Azerbaijan realised that the cleansing of Azerbaijanians from Nagorno-Karabakh was an aggression of the Republic of Armenia against the Azerbaijan Republic. Its main go was to stop the national liberation movement of Azerbaijani people."
"The Nation", January 22, 1999
AZERBAIJAN NEWSLETTER
Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan – Washington, D.C. – January 20, 1999
Hafiz M.. Pashayev
Ambassador
