Clerical leader urges to try Jan. 20 culprits at the Hague
The leader of the Caucasus Muslims has appealed to the Azerbaijani
parliament speaker over arraigning in the international court those
responsible for the killings perpetrated in Baku in January 1990,
the time the Soviet Union was on the brink of collapse.
Sheikhulislam Haji Allahshukur Pashazada’s appeal was announced at
a conference held by the Caucasus Muslims Office Monday on the
occasion of the anniversary of the January 20 tragedy.
The statement noted that the massacre is a heinous crime against the Azerbaijani people, calling for taking action to prosecute the culprits, led by then USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
"As a supreme body defending the rights and legal position of the Azerbaijani citizens, I request filing a plea to take those responsible for the carnage and the butchers who have the Azerbaijani people’s blood on their hands to the international court at the Hague. The true essence of the criminal actions should be disclosed to the world community on the basis of evidence and proof, documents and witness testimonies, and feedback on international law," the statement said.
In the backdrop of Armenia’s territorial claims and aggression, the USSR leadership, which was trying to maintain the Communist regime in Azerbaijan and strangle the unfolding national freedom movement, pulled troops into Baku early on January 20, 1990, without announcing a state of emergency. 132 people were killed, including women, children and the elderly, and 612 others were injured. 117 of those killed were Azerbaijanis and the rest were people of other nationalities, according to official sources.
Azerbaijani Ombudsperson Elmira Suleymanova has issued a statement to international groups over the 20th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy, saying that due international assessment has not been given to the developments to this day.
"We believe that the world community, international organizations will back Azerbaijan’s fair demands, that this horrible crime, committed against our people, which was accompanied by premeditated, inhumane, undemocratic, blatant and widespread violations of human rights, will be swiftly given its international legal assessment and the culprits will not go unpunished."
The statement was sent to the United Nations, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the senior rights defenders of numerous countries, Azerbaijan’s embassies abroad and foreign embassies in the country, as well as diaspora organizations.*
The statement noted that the massacre is a heinous crime against the Azerbaijani people, calling for taking action to prosecute the culprits, led by then USSR leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
"As a supreme body defending the rights and legal position of the Azerbaijani citizens, I request filing a plea to take those responsible for the carnage and the butchers who have the Azerbaijani people’s blood on their hands to the international court at the Hague. The true essence of the criminal actions should be disclosed to the world community on the basis of evidence and proof, documents and witness testimonies, and feedback on international law," the statement said.
In the backdrop of Armenia’s territorial claims and aggression, the USSR leadership, which was trying to maintain the Communist regime in Azerbaijan and strangle the unfolding national freedom movement, pulled troops into Baku early on January 20, 1990, without announcing a state of emergency. 132 people were killed, including women, children and the elderly, and 612 others were injured. 117 of those killed were Azerbaijanis and the rest were people of other nationalities, according to official sources.
Azerbaijani Ombudsperson Elmira Suleymanova has issued a statement to international groups over the 20th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy, saying that due international assessment has not been given to the developments to this day.
"We believe that the world community, international organizations will back Azerbaijan’s fair demands, that this horrible crime, committed against our people, which was accompanied by premeditated, inhumane, undemocratic, blatant and widespread violations of human rights, will be swiftly given its international legal assessment and the culprits will not go unpunished."
The statement was sent to the United Nations, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the senior rights defenders of numerous countries, Azerbaijan’s embassies abroad and foreign embassies in the country, as well as diaspora organizations.*
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