Embassy of Azerbaijan in Moldova issues declaration on events held in Baku on 20 January 1990

Chisinau, 19 January /MOLDPRES/ - The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Chisinau has issued a declaration, in the context of the 34th anniversary of the events which took place in Baku on 20 January 1990, when the Soviet army repressed the protests of the Azeri, which resulted in many victims. According to the declaration, the concerned events ‘’became a symbol of the fight for the freedom and independence of Azerbaijan,’’ MOLDPRES informs, citing the Azeri media.    

„On the night of 19 to 20 January 1990, at an order by the leadership of the USSR, in the wake of the military aggression of Soviet army’s units and special forces, as well as of the contingent of interior troops, massacres were committed against the peaceful residents, including children, women and elderly people in Baku, Sumgayit, Lankaran and Neftchala. As many as 150 civilians were killed, 744 were seriously injured and four ones were reported missed. The Soviet army, which was sent to the country to repress by violence the mass revolts of the Azeri people and the national liberation movement, glaringly infringing the international law and the Constitution, committed an unprecedented massacre of the civilian population,’’ the declaration reads.    

According to the quoted source, ‘’the day of 20 January 1990 went down in history as a heroic page of the fight for independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.’’ ”. „The tragedy from 20 January had a decisive impact on the shaping of the national identity of Azerbaijan  and represented a turning point in the restoration of the state’s independence. On 20 January 1990, a date which went down in our history as a day of national pride along with tragedy, the Azeri nation declared to the entire world that it deserves to live freely, sovereignly and independently,’’ the authors of the message say.     

The declaration also reads that ‘’despite the fact that already 34 years have passed, the events from 20 January did not get an international legal assessment.’’