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January
tradegy
January 20, 1990
Over
the night from 19 to 20-th January, 1990 without preliminary declaration
of the state of emergency military units of former Soviet Union were entered
into Baku city and some regions of Azerbaijan. The invasion into Baku
of a large contingent of Soviet Army units, interior troops and special
destination detachments was accompanied by particular cruelty and unprecedented
atrocities. Reprisals were inflicted toward peace population, hundreds
of people were killed, wounded, missing.
82
men were cruelly killed and 20 men were fatally wounded by military forces
before declaration of the state of emergency. After the declaration of
the state of emergency on January 20 and the following days another 21
men were killed. In the districts Neftchala and Lenkoran where the state
of emergency was not introduced 10 persons were killed on January, 25-26.
In
total as a result of illegal entering of troops into Baku city and regions
of the republic 133 men were killed, 611 men - wounded, 841 men - illegally
arrested and 5 - missing. The soldiers sacked and burnt 200 houses and
apartments, 80 automobiles, including ambulance cars, the state and personal
property with total worth 5637286 rubles was destroyed. Women, children
and old men, as well as ambulance and militia employees also were among
the killed persons.
Entering
of troops and introduction of the state of emergency in Baku were
rough violence of the USSR Constitution (article 119), Constitution of
the Azerbaijani SSR (article 71), International Pact “On civil and political
rights” of 1966 (article 1) and the sovereign rights of the Azerbaijan
Republic.
The
illegal declaration of the state of emergency in Baku, invasion of armed
forces into the city and severe violence against the peace population
with use of heavy equipment and killing weapons under conditions of full
lack of any resistance from the population was the crime against the Azerbaijani
people.
It
was proved that individual military men acting under conditions of the
state of emergency implemented inhuman actions that may qualify them according
to the Decree of International Military Tribunal, Genevan Conventions
on protection of victims of war of 1949, Additional protocols I and II
of 1977 to them, and Criminal Code of Azerbaijan as military criminals.
In fact all acting international conventions on human rights including
Common Declaration on human rights of 1948, International Pact on civil
and political rights of 1966, international pact on economic, social and
cultural rights of 1966, Final act of Conference for Security and Cooperation
in Europe of 1975, Final document of Viennese meeting of CSCE of 1989,
Declaration on protection of women and children in emergency and armed
conflicts of 1974, Convention on child’s rights of 1989, acting conventions
regulating waging of war, in particular, 4th Hague Convention
about the rule and customs of land war of 1967 were violated. The military
men shot the people point-blank with particular cruelty, tanks and armored
troop-carrier specially rode into cars to kill the people sat in them,
fired on the hospitals, prevented medical staff to help to the wounded
persons. Personnel of troops finished the wounded persons off, killed
by bayonets, use bullets with 5.45 caliber in Kalashnikov submachine gun,
which not only wound the man, but increase his suffering and do his death
inevitable.
The
bloody tragedy took place in Baku in January, 1990 showed anti-national
character of totalitarian regime when USSR armed forces were again used
not for protection from foreign aggression, but against its own people.
The
events took place before the tragedy
The
analysis of the measures implemented by party and state bodies, and contradictory
process took place in Baku, on the eve of the 20th of January,
shows that the January tragedy was the corollary of prepared military
operation.
The
policy of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union contradicting to interests
of the people and directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan in the period before January, 20, biased and preconceived
line of the Center, inefficient activity of the leaders of Azerbaijan
became the main reasons of introduction of the state of emergency in Baku.
This
aggression against Azerbaijani people implemented stage by stage: provocations
which led to the massacre carried out in the city, weapons were withdrawn
even from militia employees under the pretext of population disarmament,
etc.
From
the end of 1989 right up to the January events additional contingents
of internal troops and forces of Soviet Army were sent in Baku. In connection
with it various preparatory measures for quartering of military units
were taken. In spite of presence in Baku of 110.000 armed security and
law-enforcement personnel additional 66.000 soldiers and officers were
transferred to Baku among them also were reservists, conscripted for short
period in the middle of January, 1990.
The
Investigation Commission ascertained that reservists and personnel of
units 11.500 strong entered into the city were brought intensive psychological
pressure: information about necessity of this action for Russian population
protection in Baku which is allegedly annihilated cruelly by the local
population was spread, false information about fair amount of snipers
and submachine gunner from National Front stationed around the barracks
and on the roofs of the houses who will meet the troops with burst of
sub-machine gun fire and etc. is reported. Thus, the troops are expected
fierce fire and were ready for cruelty. According to the materials of
the Investigation Commission there are many persons of Armenian nationality
among reservists.
Some
days before the events beds in the hospitals in Baku were freed quickly,
preparation for receiving quantity of wounded is implemented, members
of families of soviet servicemen were evacuated from Baku. Thus, all conditions
for implementation of military aggression and troops entering into Baku
were created.
The
next stage of military operation has become explosion of the power block
of the Azerbaijani television and full stopping of broadcasting in the
republic on January, 19. Since the day of tragedy the activity of other
mass media was suspended and the people was deprived its rights to get
information.
For
realization of this planned criminal action USSR defense and interior
ministers, other high rank military officials and party figures arrived
to Baku. In all their speeches they assured that they arrived to Baku
to understand the situation and not allow the troops to be entered into
the city.
Due
to the inefficient activity of local leadership tried to satisfy the central
authorities and blindly implement its instructions the situation in the
city was beyond the control.
Just
in this period during a few months in Baku, other cities and districts
mass meetings in connection with unequal attitude of the central authorities
of USSR to separative claims of Karabakh Armenians about annexation to
the Armenian Republic of the autonomous republic which is the part of
Azerbaijan were held. Unclear position of the leadership of USSR in the
decision of this issue, undisguised play with Armenians in this issue
became the reason of the conflict spreading and led to the mass proscription
of the Azerbaijanis from Armenia. About 300.000 Azerbaijanis were subjected
to torture and killed with aim to oust them from their own houses, and
forced to be refugees and took refuge in the Azerbaijani Republic.
All
these inflamed anger of the people, and the demands about the resignation
of the leadership of Azerbaijan were made at the mass-meetings . The proposal
about introduction of the state of emergency put forward at the meeting
of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan on January,
1990 was a result of fear to loose the power. On the basis of this decision
on January, 15 1990 Presidium of USSR Supreme Council adopted the Decree “On declaration of the state of
emergency in Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast and some other districts”.
On January, 15 1990 during the visit of chairman of Presidium of the Supreme
Council of the Azerbaijani SSR to Moscow under conditions of lack of quorum
illegal meeting of Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijani
SSR was held where the decision about consent on introduction of the state
of emergency in Azerbaijan were taken under the pressure of the first
secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan.
It again confirms that the tragedy of the 20th January was
beforehand planned criminal action.
Decision
by Presidium of the USSR Supreme Council “On introduction of the state
of emergency in Baku city” violating item 14, article 119 of the USSR
Constitution and article 71 of the Constitution of the Azerbaijani SSR,
its publication after introduction of the state of emergency and blood
shed of hundreds innocent inhabitants of Baku city confirm that this military
and political action was open aggression and the crime against the Azerbaijani
people committed by the leaders of CPSU, Soviet state and personally Mikhail
Gorbachev.
January,
21 1990
The
tragedy of January, 20 has evoked anger and indignation of the progressive
forces all over the world. The radio stations of many countries broadcasted
full information about the January tragedy and damned imperial forces.
In
contrast to practice of civilized states, the political leadership of
Azerbaijan has not resigned, but it has taken position of silence in this
situation. Those tragic days, when the people sacrificed its martyrs,
it has not expressed its official attitude to this tragedy, feared anger
of the people, did not participate at the funeral ceremony and has not
expressed its condolences to the morning people. In these situation the
statement of the chairwoman of the Presidium
of the Supreme Council has given to the people hope and faith for
restoration of the violated rights.
The
party authorities of Azerbaijan lost its leader – the first secretary
of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan who feared
the anger of the people and with aim to ensure his own security fled to
Moscow on the military plane – didn’t participate in the organization
of the funeral ceremony, assistance to the families of the perished persons
and conducting of ritual ceremonies.
In
a such situation the leadership of Muslim clergy took great responsibility.
On January, 21 1990 the chairman of Clerical Council of Transcaucasian
Muslims appealed to the Secretary General of CC of CPSU, the chairman
of the Supreme Council of USSR Mikhail Gorbachev to express the will
of the people of Azerbaijan that demand immediate withdrawal of the troops
from Baku. The copies of this appeal were sent to the UN Secretary General
and the heads of the governments and religious communities of the world.
In
this period the protest meeting of Azerbaijanis who passed along the streets
of Moscow with the black flags to the building of the Central Committee
of CPSU to hand the angry letter was held outside the permanent representation
of Azerbaijan in Moscow. Former leader of Azerbaijan, member of Politburo
of the Central Committee of CPSU, retired deputy chairman of USSR Ministries
Council Heydar Aliyev held the press-conference
in the permanent representation of Azerbaijan in Moscow where he condemned
inhuman action of soviet troops in Azerbaijan.
The
city awoke by the night tragedy only in the morning, 6-7 hours after declaration
of the state of emergency in Baku, listened the Decree of Gorbachev and
the order of the city commandant by the
radio. Disorders by troops entered into the city have continued, the people
have perished, and these events continued for several days.
January,
22 1990
The
extreme session of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijani SSR held on
January, 22 1990 at request of the people and initiative of the group
of deputies tried to evaluate the January events and adopted some documents.
The
session adopted the Decree of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijani
SSR “On cancellation of the state of emergency in Baku city”.
The
appeals to the USSR Supreme
Council, Supreme Councils of union republics, parliaments of all countries
of the world, UN as well as to all nationals and peoples living
in the Azerbaijani SSR also were adopted at this session. Questions
about legal evaluation of the events were risen at this session and the
deputy investigation commission was created.
On
January 22, 1990 the primary party organization of the Central Committee
of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan excluded Abdurahman Vezirov from
CPSU and it rose the question to call him to account for the crimes perpetrated
against the Azerbaijani people.
This
day Baku bid farewell to the sons and daughters of Azerbaijan perished
as a result of the January tragedy. Millions people have gathered at the
Lenin square. The funeral procession reached Upland park in Baku – the
highest place in the city which was chosen as the place of burial of the
victims of this terrible tragedy. They became the heroes for the next
generations and the shehids (martyrs) perished for independence of Azerbaijan.
Neither
party figures, nor military authorities of the city feared the anger of
the people participated at the funeral ceremony. They were participants
of this crime and accessories of the entering into Baku of military units
of soviet empire because they as top officials have not taken concrete
measures and have not provided the safety of the citizens.
Evaluation
given by the history
Unfortunately
actions of the authorities of Azerbaijan in the following years were directed
at the concealment and falsification of the facts. But memory of the people
remembers everything, and the history gives its evaluation…
Over
the night from 24 to 25-th of January, 1990 Central Committee of Communist
Party of Azerbaijan held the plenum devoted to the organizational issues.
Under the pressure of the participants of the Plenum question about political
situation in the republic also was included in the agenda. The commission
chaired by Afrand Dashdamirov was created with aim to investigate of circumstances
of introduction in Baku of the state of emergency on January 19-20, 1990.
This commission was charged to study all issues connected with introduction
of the state of emergency and report at the next plenum.
On
March, 31 1991 report about the work of the commission was given at the
Plenum of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Azerbaijan and the
decision about continuation of its work was taken.
The
third session of the Supreme Council of USSR held in March, 1990 instead
of giving the evaluation of the January events took place in Baku adopted
intricate resolution “On situation in the Azerbaijani SSR and in the Armenian
SSR and the measures on normalization of situation in this region”. By
this resolution the USSR Supreme Council instructed USSR Prosecutor Office,
USSR KGB (Committe of the State Security) and USSR Interior Ministry to
investigate the crimes committed on January, 20 taking into consideration
the results of the work of the deputy investigation commission of the
Supreme Council of the Azerbaijani SSR. On December 20, 1990 USSR Military
Prosecutor Office not considered actions of military men during the January
in Baku as crime, has stopped the investigation. Thus, the Supreme Council
of USSR has refused to give political and legal evaluation of the tragedy
of the 20th of January.
The
deputy investigation commission submitted its conclusion to the Milli
Shura (National Assembly) of the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan only two
years after the tragedy - after liquidation of the Communist Party of
the Soviet Union and collapse of the Soviet state.
The
evaluation given in this document hasn’t met the importance of the tragedy
and noted the quilt of the leadership of Soviet state and government that
have not already existed, and there was the attempt to pass over in silence
the responsibility of the Azerbaijani leadership.
Milli
Shura by its decision of January, 19 1992 instead of evaluation of the
20th January events just confirmed the conclusion of the deputy
investigation commission and admitted it as satisfactory.
Thus,
the tragedy of January, 20 have not been given political and legal evaluation
in the decisions of the supreme legislative body of the Azerbaijani Republic.
So
far only the Supreme Mejlis (Assembly) of Nakhchivan
Autonomous SSR adopted the resolution actually evaluated the events of
the 20th of January.
It
is necessary to note that the evaluation of the tragedy was not given
in 1992-1993, too, when the leaders of the National Front of Azerbaijan
who are the direct participants of these events were in power.
Only
in 1994 according to the decree of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic
Heydar Aliyev “On conducting of the fourth anniversary of the tragedy
of January, 20” Milli Mejlis (parliament) after holding special meeting
adopted resolution “On tragic
events took place in Baku on January, 20 1990” where the events of
tragic January, 1990 were given political and legal evaluation for the
first time.
This
action became turning moment in series of injustices committed by totalitarian
communist regime against Azerbaijani people.
The
Decrees of the President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev of December, 16 1999
“On the 10th anniversary
of the tragedy of January, 1990” and of January, 17 2000 “On awarding
of honorary title “Shehid (Martyr) of January, 20” (where all the victims of the tragedy
are listed) once more showed the deepest respect to the tragic history
of our people.
Azerbaijani
people remember and revere memory of all fallen heroes who sacrificed
their lives for independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
May
they rest in peace!
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