Tokyo, 20 January, /AJMEDIA/
January 20, 1990, the day of the bloody slaughter committed by the Soviet Empire in many parts of Baku and Azerbaijan.
As the Japan Azerbaijan Friendship Association, we strongly condemn the perpetrators who committed this tragedy and those who shed the blood of civilians, and we sincerely mourn the victims of the tragedy. I would like to objectively convey to the Japanese people the crimes committed by the Soviet leadership against the people of Azerbaijan 32 years ago.
One of the main goals of this genocide mission was to destroy the will of the Azerbaijani people. The people of Azerbaijan made legitimate demands, wanted to achieve this in a democratic way, and wanted freedom and sovereignty. Soviet troops threatened the people of Azerbaijan with the aim of destroying their ethnic awakening, territorial integrity, and struggle for sovereignty. These were part of the cunning plans of the upper Soviet Union. At that time, leaders of the Soviet Empire, led by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, used special-forces provocations to launch “Armenian cards” in the regions of Baku and Azerbaijan.
Also, by analyzing the information of the victims of this tragedy, we can confirm the essence of the criminal policy of former Soviet leaders.
In January 1990, more than 140 people were killed and more than 700 were injured in the Soviet massacre in and around Baku. Among the slaughtered people are more than 20 women and children, and five foreigners. Also, during this tragedy, hospitals, “ambulance” cars were set on fire and a doctor was killed.
We remember the genocide in Baku and the provinces at the time, the heroes who fought for the liberation of the people, and they were forever engraved in the hearts of the people of Azerbaijan. This is a tragedy as well as a struggle for the people of Azerbaijan for freedom, one of our unforgettable pages.
The great leader Heydar Aliyev, in the midst of this bloody event went to the permanent mission of the Azerbaijan SSR in Moscow to declare the sins of the former Soviet Union leaders in the tragedy. Even after the state leader returned to power, he raised the issue again and took serious steps to gain the political and legal value of the January 20th event. January 20th was designated as “Memorial Day” by the order of a great leader.
We emphasize that the purpose and aspirations of the Martyrs of January 20 were realized as a result of the courage and struggle of the Azerbaijani people. Not only did Azerbaijan become an independent state, but our heroic army released the occupied lands under the guidance of the great commander-in-chief Ilham Aliyev. This is the most valuable gift in memory of our martyrs.
Today, Azerbaijani leaders consider solving the problems of those who died in the tragedy of January 20th, the families of line of duty deaths, and the disabled as one of the key challenges at the national level. In Azerbaijan, major measures are being taken in this direction. The social security of the bereaved families of martyrs and the disabled is improving year by year.
The alley of the martyr, where our brave sons and daughters who gave their lives for their homeland sleep, has become a sacred vow of our people, a glorious chronicle of our people’s will. Martyrs’ alleys continue to be a source of pride for future generations as a symbol of our freedom, independence and national unity.