Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

National leader Heydar Aliyev was the first man who boldly protested against Soviet empire that committed massacre to the Azerbaijan people on a night from January 19 to 20, 1990, with the goal to stifle desire of independence, stated Academician Ismayil Hajiyev in the conference “20 January is a heroic page in the history of Azerbaijan” held at ANAS Nakhchivan Branch.

In advance, patriotic children of motherland, who died for freedom and integrity of the country, were commemorated for a minute of silence.

Academician Ismayil Hajiyev said that, from January 19 to 20, 1990, shooting process of innocent people was an operation organized by USSR Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Internal Affairs and USSR State Security Committee "A” sabotage groups. This tragedy has been a part of offensive plan aimed to scare Azerbaijan people, to break its national awakening, struggle for territorial integrity and sovereignty. Headed by Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet empire skillfully used "Armenian card" in Baku. Supposedly military troops were deployed to Baku in order to protect families of military staff and prevent "nationalist extremists", trying to get power by force. In fact, it just were lies and accusations prepared in advance to cover up hypocrisy and cruelty of empire.

It was stressed out that, could not being indifferent to the fate of his people, national leader Heydar Aliyev risked his life and exposed this terror committed against Azerbaijan people as a contrary step against humanity and democracy in the press conference, which held at Azerbaijan Consulate of Moscow on January 21, 1990. Still, on November 21, 1990, chaired by national leader, Supreme Assembly of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic adopted a historic decision on January 20. Then, by decree of Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev signed on January 5, 1994 related to 20 January tragedy, Milli Majlis was charged to give political and legal assessment to the events. Milli Majlis gave state-level political and legal assessment to the tragedy on March 29, 1994.

“20 January events have not been completed with bloody crimes committed by cruel Soviet troops. On the same day, simultaneously boundary villages of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic were attacked by Armenian armed forces”, - said academician and noted that, on January 18, 1990, Karki village of Sherur region was occupied by the Armenians with the help of the 7th Army, USSR Ministry of Defense, also 8 hours ago bloody January events, Armenian armed forces launched attacks to Sadarak, including other boundary villages of the autonomous republic. It was first bloody pages of the January 20 tragedy.

In the conference, Deputy Director of the Institute of History, Ethnography and Archaeology, corresponding member of ANAS Gadir Gadizadeh delivered lecture “Socio-political situation in Azerbaijan on the eve of the January 20 tragedy”, chief department of the institute, senior lecturer Asef Orujov “National leader Heydar Aliyev and poltically assessment of January 20”, leading researcher, PhD in History Musa Guliyev “Martyrs are our national pride”, chief department of the institute, PhD in History Togrul Khalilov “Results of bloody January and moral lessons”.

Reporters underlined that, massacre of the civilian population who fought for freedom, territorial integrity of his country as well as killing and wounding of hundreds of innocent people as a result of mass terror once again demonstrated criminal gist of the totalitarian Soviet regime to the world on the eve of its collapse.

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