Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The State Senate of the U.S. State of Arizona has issued a statement on the death anniversary of Azerbaijani, who was murdered during January events in Baku, which is known in Azerbaijan and beyond as the Black January tragedy.

The news was announced by the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los-Angeles.

The Arizona State Senate's statement on the 24th death anniversary of Vidadi Mammadov, who was killed on January 20, 1990, when the Soviet army committed a massacre against Azerbaijani civilians in Baku, signed by the Senate President Andy Biggs on January 30, 2014, and was authored by Senator Don Shooter, Chairman of the Senate's Appropriations Committee.

During his trip to Azerbaijan in November 2013, Senator Shooter met Mammadov's brother in the city of Shamakhi and was profoundly informed about the Black January tragedy.

"In what is now called Martyr's Day, 26,000 Soviet troops attempted to crush the Azerbaijan independence movement that Mammadov was a part of. As many heroes have done over the course of history, Mammadov gave his life in the name of freedom. His sacrifice embodies man's quest to be free. This Senate, and the people of the great state of Arizona, share the same freedom-loving ideals as the people of Azerbaijan and honor the sacrifice made by Mammadov and the freedom-loving patriots of Azerbaijan." the statement said.

Late at night on January 20, 1990, some 26,000 Soviet special forces called "Alfa" entered Baku without declaring a state of emergency and committed atrocities against the innocent Azerbaijani people. The invasion was launched at midnight and was committed with brutality; even children, women and the elderly were not spared.

In total, some 133 people were killed, 611 wounded, 841 illegally arrested and five went missing as a result of the intrusion of troops into Baku and other regions of the republic.

January 20, 1990 entered into the modern history of Azerbaijan as one of the most tragic days, and at the same time as a heroic page.