Black January — from the night of January 19 to January 20, 1990, at 23:30, troops of the former Soviet Union entered Baku without declaring a state of emergency, attacked the civilian population, killing hundreds of civilians, many of whom were injured, went missing. The capture of Baku by the specially designated units of Soviet troops and the large contingent of internal troops is considered as tyranny and unprecedented brutality.
Until the imposition of the state of emergency was officially declared, the military personnel had killed 82 people and seriously wounded 20. After the declaration of the state of emergency, on January 20 and the following days, 21 people were killed in Baku. In areas where the state of emergency was not declared – on January 25 in Neftchala and on January 26 in Lankaran, another 8 people were killed.
As a result of the illegal entry of the troops, 146 people were killed in Baku and the regions of Azerbaijan, 744 people were injured, 841 people were illegally detained, 200 houses and buildings, 80 vehicles, including ambulances, were burned as a result of fires caused by incendiary bullets, damaging state and personal property. Among the dead were women, children, the elderly, as well as ambulance workers and police officers. “The Constitution of the USSR, Azerbaijan SSR Constitution was grossly violated, and the sovereign rights of the Republic of Azerbaijan were trampled. This premeditated and prepared act of aggression aimed to stifle the struggle of the Azerbaijani people for democracy and national freedom, to humiliate them, and to deliver a moral blow” - it is commemorated.
The Embassy of Azerbaijan in Uzbekistan in collaboration with the Heydar Aliyev Azerbaijani Cultural Center held a memorial event on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy.
Embassy of Azerbaijan and Culture Center staff, representatives of science, culture, and art of Uzbekistan, members of the diaspora, journalists participated in the event.
First and foremost, bouquets were placed in front of the monument of the great leader Heydar Aliyev at the Culture Center and the Martyrs' Alley.
First of all, the participants of the ceremony became closely acquainted with the book exhibition related to the January 20 tragedy, the Karabakh War, the liberation from occupation, as well as a photo exhibition.
Darakchi.uz expresses its deep condolences to the people of Azerbaijan on this dark day.
