The January 20 massacre is not only one of the most heinous crimes committed against the Azerbaijani people but also against humanity.
The crime committed on January 20, 1990, is not only one of the most heinous crimes committed against the Azerbaijani people but also against humanity. The act of the unarmed Azerbaijani people confronting Russian tanks on that day was a great act of heroism. In the late eighties of the last century, the leadership of the USSR, as a result of the economic, political, military, and social crisis raging in the union, tried to brutally suppress the national liberation movements flaring up among the peoples and drown the freedom movements in blood by brutally punishing the peoples. However, the events that unfolded had the opposite effect. At that time, our people understood well that by fighting, they could gain their freedom and break away from this criminal empire.
The Soviet leadership set a goal to commit a massacre in Azerbaijan, where the sense of freedom was at its highest, intending to suppress national self-esteem through punitive measures and teach other peoples a lesson. It was for this purpose that the leadership of the USSR deployed troops to Baku. More than 66,000 soldiers and officers, including mobilized Armenian officers and soldiers, Armenian cadets studying in military schools, as well as soldiers from other special forces military units, were brought to Baku and stationed at the "Gala" and "Nasoslu" airfields, the Republican Stadium, and the Salyan barracks. Despite the state of emergency being declared on January 20 at 00:00, military units first entered the city from the direction of Türkan-Gala starting from January 19 at 21:00. According to the first paragraph of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the population must be officially warned about the declaration and duration of a state of emergency from the moment the decree is signed. However, the population was not warned about the imposed state of emergency. The occupation of Baku by large contingents of special forces of the Soviet army and internal troops was accompanied by particular brutality. Although tanks and various types of armored combat vehicles were used in the military operations that began on January 20 at 00:00, and landings were carried out from ships belonging to the Caspian Military Flotilla, people were killed in their native Neftçala on January 25 and in Lənkəran on January 26, in districts where a state of emergency had not been declared after the bloody January.
In total, as a result of this bloody terror, 147 people were killed, 744 were injured, 841 were illegally arrested, 200 houses and apartments, 80 cars, including ambulances, state property, and private property were destroyed in the Republic. Although the Azerbaijani people were subjected to military, political, and moral aggression on January 20, they demonstrated to the whole world their loyalty to their historical heroic traditions and their determination to endure the most severe trials for the sake of the freedom and independence of their Motherland, even to become martyrs. May God have mercy on all our martyrs!.
Mustafa Karamanlı;
Reserve serviceman, Neftçala district