Azernews.Az

by Mazahir Afandiyev,

In the history of Azerbaijan, there are many unforgettable days and indelible moments that have been permanently engraved in memory. January 20, 1990, is not only a great tragedy for the Azerbaijani people, but also a day of national pride and honor—a day when a heroic epic was written with blood and sacrifice.

This day, which entered the socio-political life of our country as the January 20 tragedy, holds a unique place in the philosophy of national memory and the process of national self-awareness of our people. There are a number of events in our history that have left deep and lasting marks on our national consciousness and on the ideological thinking of Azerbaijani identity.

In January 1990, the Azerbaijani people witnessed in horror on television screens the brutal violence inflicted upon their compatriots. The Bloody January events—resulting in the killing of 147 people across the Republic, the wounding of 744, the illegal arrest of 841 individuals, and the destruction of 200 houses and apartments, 80 vehicles including ambulances, as well as state and private property—became one of the gravest military crimes committed against the Azerbaijani people.

In mid-January 1990, more than 66,000 soldiers and officers from units of the USSR Ministry of Defense, the State Security Committee, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs were brought to and deployed in the city of Baku. Armenian officers and soldiers, as well as Armenian cadets studying at military schools, were also included in the composition of the military units sent to Azerbaijan.

Despite the requirement under Article 1 of the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that the public be officially informed about the imposition and duration of a state of emergency from the moment such a decree is signed, no warning was given to the city’s population. Only after a mass killing of civilians had taken place—at 5:30 a.m. on January 20, 1990—was official information about the imposition of a state of emergency broadcast via radio.

After the tragedy, the national liberation movement in Azerbaijan took on an irreversible character, and the people saw their future solely in the creation of an independent Azerbaijan. Following these events, Azerbaijanis around the world began, for the first time, to organize in the countries where they lived in order to bring international recognition to this national tragedy.

At that time, expressing an assessment or taking a stance on these processes was extremely dangerous. Nevertheless, the first official protest regarding the January 20 events was voiced by the National Leader Heydar Aliyev. Fearing no danger, on January 21, 1990, despite the prohibitions of the Soviet regime, he came to Azerbaijan’s Permanent Mission in Moscow, publicly accused the organizers of the bloody tragedy before the world community, and called on the Azerbaijani people to unite.

At the initiative of National Leader Heydar Aliyev, on November 21, 1990, the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic adopted a decision giving a political and legal assessment of the January 20 tragedy. Later, on March 29, 1994, again at his initiative, the tragedy received for the first time a political and legal assessment at the state level by the highest legislative body—the Milli Majlis (National Assembly).

Thus, January 20 became a glorious page in the history of our wise people, who were ready to make any sacrifice to preserve their dignity and achieve independence, uniting against the enemy. It marked the beginning of the path toward the full restoration of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the modern Republic of Azerbaijan.

As every year, this year too, in accordance with the Decree of the President of Azerbaijan dated August 5, 1998, our people will visit the “Eternal Flame” memorial complex erected in the Alley of Martyrs in Baku, commemorating with sorrow the heroic martyrs who lost their lives, bowing their heads in deep respect before their memory.

The great efforts undertaken by National Leader Heydar Aliyev to immortalize the memory of the January 20 martyrs and to strengthen the social protection of their families, as well as the successful policies he laid the foundation for, are today being honorably continued by the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, the Great Leader, President Ilham Aliyev.

While January 20 remains in history as a tragedy and a horrific act of terror, it is also, as emphasized by the head of state, a heroic page in Azerbaijani history. This date was crowned by the victories we have achieved since 2020, both on the battlefield and on the diplomatic front—most notably by the signing of the Washington Declaration on August 8, 2025, between the President of Azerbaijan, the President of the United States of America, and the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia.

Thirty-six years ago, on that tragic day, despite all threats, intimidation, and facing death itself, our people demonstrated that they were ready to become martyrs for the sake of independence and freedom. For this very reason, the January 20 tragedy will never be erased from the memory of the Azerbaijani people; the souls of the January 20 martyrs, as well as those of the First and Second Karabakh Wars, will always be remembered, and their cherished memory will live forever in the hearts of our grateful nation.

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Mazahir Afandiyev is a member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The views and opinions expressed by guest columnists in their articles may differ from those of the editorial board and do not necessarily reflect its views