The decision of the National Council of the Azerbaijan Republic "On tragic events took place in Baku on 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, reprisals were inflicted toward peace population, hundreds people were killed, wounded, missing. 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.

Before declaration of the state of emergency 82 men were cruelly killed and 20 men were fatally wounded by military forces. After the declaration of the state of emergency on January 20 and the following days another 21 men were killed. In the districts, where the state of emergency was not introduced, 8 men were killed in Neftchala on January, 25 and in Lenkoran on January 26.

In total as a result of illegal entering of troops into Baku city and regions of the republic 133 men were killed, 744 men - wounded, 841 men - illegally arrested. The soldiers sacked and burnt 200 houses and apartments, 80 automobiles, including ambulance cars, the state and personal property was destroyed. Women, children and old men, as well as ambulance and militia employees also were among the killed persons. The USSR Constitution, Constitution of the Azerbaijan SSR, the sovereign rights of the Azerbaijan Republic were roughly violated.

The purpose of this beforehand elaborate and prepared act of aggression was suppression of struggle of the Azerbaijani people for democracy and national freedom, humiliation and insult of the dignity of the people. Policy of the leadership of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, biased and prejudiced line of the Center, and personally of Mikhail Gorbachov, directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan in a period preceded January 20, became the reason of anger of broad masses.

Activity of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan and its first secretary Abdurahman Vezirov also raised harsh discontent of the people. In the republic the judgement was generated, that the leadership of Azerbaijan, concerted with the Center on Nagorno-Karabakh problem, realizes clandestine treacherous plans against its people.

By their inept and inefficient activities, leaders of Azerbaijan have created insuperable discrepancy between the people and authority. Just in this period during several months at the mass-meetings in Baku, other cities and regions of the republic the demands on resignation of the Azerbaijani leadership were put forward.

The leadership of the Azerbaijani SSR has not taken advantage of available possibilities for settling by political means the opposition created in the society . The work of ruling circles with opposition was characterized by political games and intrigues, and was ineffective. The Azerbaijani leadership has appeared to be helpless in solution of many important issues, that has led to the deep authority crisis in the republic.

The analysis of the measures implemented by party and the state agencies, and contradictory process took place in Baku on the eve of the 20^th of January shows that the January tragedy was the result of prepared military operation. The irrefutable evidence of that are encoded telegrams signed by leaders of the republic Abdurahman Vezirov and Ayaz Mutallibov, which are sent to Moscow from the end of 1989 right up to the January events. These encoded telegrams contained appeals for sending to Baku of additional units of interior troops and forces of the Soviet Army. In this connection the various preparatory measures for billeting and security of military subdividings were taken in Baku, beds in the hospitals were quickly freed some days before the events, the preparation for receptions of great amount injured men was carried out, members of families of the servicemen of the Soviet Army urgently were evacuated from Baku. Thus, all conditions for realization of military aggression and entering of troops were created.

Entering of troops into Baku pursued the purposes of preservation of communist regime and suppression of national-liberation movement. Suggestions about introduction of the state of emergency put forward on meeting of the bureau of Azerbaijan Communist Party’s Central Committee on January 14, 1990, were caused by fear to lose the power. On January 15, 1990 under conditions of lack of quorum, when the chairwoman of Presidium of the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan SSR Elmira Gafarova was on her official trip in Moscow, illegal meeting of Presidium of the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan SSR was held, and the decision on consent for introduction of the state of emergency in Azerbaijan was accepted under pressure of the first Secretary of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Azerbaijan Abdurahman Vezirov. It once more confirms that the January tragedy was the beforehand planned criminal act.

The illegal declaration of the state of emergency in Baku, invasion of the 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. These retaliatory measures were consciously planned and brutally realized.

The basic purpose of this action was the suppression of national movement in Azerbaijan, barring of collapse of the existing regime and destruction of forces struggling for independence.

This aggression against the Azerbaijani people was implemented stage by stage: the provocations resulted in pogroms were carried out, under the pretext of disarmament of the population, on the eve of the tragedy, arms were excepted even from the militia employees etc.

The next stage of military operation has become explosion on January, 19 of the power block of the Azerbaijani television and full stopping of broadcasting in the republic. Since the day of the 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 Soviet defense minister Dmitrii Yazov, interior minister Vadim Bakatin and other former soviet high rank military officials arrived to Baku.

Acceptance of the Decree of Presidium of the USSR Supreme Council "On introduction of the state of emergency in Baku" in violation of item 14, clause 119 of the USSR Constitution and clause 71 of the Constitution of Azerbaijani SSR, its publication after introduction of the state of emergency and after the blood of hundreds peace inhabitants of Baku city was shed confirm that this military and political action was the barefaced aggression and crime against the Azerbaijani people committed by the leadership of CPSU, Soviet state and personally by Mikhail Gorbachev.

In these tragic for Azerbaijanis days the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party Abdurahman Vezirov who betrayed his own people on January, 19 was at the building of KGB (Committee of State Security) with KGB chairman Vagif Huseynov instead of being on January, 19 and 20 on his working place. After that he secretly arrived to the Defense Ministry in Baku and over the night from 19 to 20-th January together with Dmitrii Yazov and Vadim Bakatin supervised by the military operation here. And finally, on January, 21 he secretly flew on a military plane to Moscow with the only purpose to secure his own safety.

Former first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan Abdurahman Vezirov seeking to keep power by any means, was the direct organizer and participant of this heavy crime. The second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan Viktor Polyanichko, the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijani SSR Ayaz Mutalibov, chairman of the Committee of the State Security of the Azerbaijani SSR Vagif Huseynov because they held the posts and had the appropriate powers.

During entering of the military units of the Soviet empire into Baku city the chaiworman of Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijani SSR Elmira Gafarova, the first secretary of Baku City Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan Muslim Mamedov have not taken any concrete measures and have not secured protection of citizens, and they as persons held top state posts, have not coped with the duties, assigned to them.

This heavy crime implemented as a result of traitorous policy of the communist leadership of the Azerbaijani SSR, has not broken the will of freedom-loving Azerbaijani people, but caused even more indignation. The hatred of the people against Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the existing regime has reached its extreme bounds, the members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union refused their Party-membership cards in a mass order and left ranks of the party.

The tragedy of January, 20 which has brought sorrow and suffering to the Azerbaijani people, has evoked response all over the world, anger and indignation of the progressive forces. The radio stations of many countries broadcasted full information about January tragedy and damned imperial forces.

In contrary to the norms, adopted in the 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 ceremony of funeral and has not expressed its condolences to the morning people. In these situation the statement of Elmira Gafarova has given hope and faith to the people. However the leadership of Azerbaijan pursued the political line of the Center has not supported this statement in its further activity.

Most of political and state leaders of the republic didn’t participate on the meeting held on January 22, 1990 on demand of the people and under the initiative of the group of the deputies of extreme session of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijani SSR. Absence of the leadership of the republic on the session which considered terrible January tragedy, has shown its indifference to the destiny of its people and involving in perpetration of this crime.

Despite of it the session has tried to evaluate the January events and has accepted series of documents. The appeals to the USSR Supreme Council, Supreme Councils of the Soviet Republics, parliaments of all world countries, Organization of United Nations, as well as to all nations and peoples living in the Azerbaijani SSR were adopted. On the same meeting the question on legal evaluation of events was raised and deputy investigation commission is created.

The decisions of the session held in such extreme circumstances were not implemented by political leadership of Azerbaijan. The state of emergency in Baku city was not canceled regardless of decision of the session. It is obvious from the materials of the Supreme Council that the Center agreed to cancel the state of emergency in Baku in 1,5 months after its introduction. However the leadership of the republic has refused to cancel the state of emergency, feared that it may allegedly bring to the opposition in the society. Chairwoman of the Presidium Elmira Gafarova answering interpellation of the deputies declared on the session of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan SSR held on February 9, 1991: when this decision was discussed on the union session on March, 5 we have met Comrade Gorbachev. I have raised this question there. He answered us that beginning from tomorrow I take off the state of emergency. I answered: “Give us time”. Later I called Ayaz Mutallibov up when I returned Baku, we discussed this question. I believe that we could not cancel the state of emergency in Baku because civil war could flared up". The state of emergency was canceled only on August 30, 1991 on the eve of the presidential elections of Ayaz Mutallibov. Thus, the leadership retained the power by value of blood understood that they could rule over the republic only through the mechanism of the state of emergency and tried to prolong it as long as it is possible.

The third session of the Supreme Council of USSR, held in March, 1990 instead of political evaluation of the January events in Baku has accepted a rather peculiar decision: "On situation in the Azerbaijani SSR and Armenian SSR and measures on normalization of situation in this region ". The Supreme Council of USSR taking into consideration the conclusion of the deputy investigation commission of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijani SSR, has given the instruction to the USSR Prosecutor Office, KGB and USSR Internal Ministry to investigate the crimes perpetrate on January, 20. On December 20, 1990 USSR Military Prosecutor Office not considered actions of military men during the January events in Baku as crime, has stopped the investigation. Thus, the Supreme Council of USSR, essentially, has refused to give political and legal evaluation of the tragedy of the 20-th January. The political leadership of Azerbaijan has not expressed its attitude to this unfair decision and two-faced position of the Center concerning the January tragedy. In fact the Supreme Council of the republic as the supreme body of power, according to the existing practice was the tacit executor of the instructions of the Central Committee of the Communist party of Azerbaijan. Thus, the Supreme Council in its activity after January 22, 1990 could not undertake independently any decisive steps for disclosure of this heavy crime.

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 political situation in the republic also was included in the agenda. The commission chaired by Afrand Dashdamirov was created with aim to investigate the circumstances of introduction of the state of emergency on January 19-20, 1990 in Baku. This commission was charged to study all issues connected with introduction of the state of emergency and report at the next plenum. In spite of the fact that the question about existing situation was included in the agenda of the Plenum, the supreme body of communists of the republic has not given political evaluation of the tragedy and has not made any announcement on this issue. Such an attitude of the Central Committee to the tragedy was affected also in its further activity. On March, 31 1991 report about the work of the commission chaired by Afrand Dashdamirov was given at the Plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan and the decision about continuation of work was taken. Afterwards the commission not accepted any decision has stopped its activity. As a result the Central Committee completely has evaded from political and legal evaluation of bloody January events.

The preliminary information of the commission of the Central Committee determined that the role of the former first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan Abdurahman Vezirov in taking of decision on introduction of the state of emergency was not established. The primary party organization of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan on January 22, 1990 has excluded Abdurahman Vezirov from CPSU and has raised the question to call him to account for the crimes committed against the Azerbaijani people. However Plenum of the Central Committee has shown the unscrupulousness and was indifferent to the decision of the primary party organization, and only rebuked Abdurahman Vezirov and excluded him from the Central Committee. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, its bureau and first secretary of CC Ayaz Mutallibov took the political leadership in the republic in this heavy period didn’t give any political evaluation to the events, so they systematically and sequentially have carried out the line of concealment of the point of the crime and its organizers.

Ayaz Mutallibov one of the initiators of the tragedy of the 20^th January has made the next treachery of the people, as a result of which on March 9, 1991 the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijani SSR under his pressure took the decision about participation of the Azerbaijani SSR in the referendum on conservation of USSR - Soviet empire that implemented so heavy crime against the Azerbaijani people. This political line of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan and its first secretary Ayaz Mutallibov has also had influence on the activity of the deputy investigation commission. On February 11, 1990 the deputy investigation commission issued its first statement. This statement did not exceed frameworks of decisions took by the extreme session of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijani SSR of January, 22 this year. The tragic situation in Azerbaijan in that period required from the deputy investigation commission political evaluation of the tragedy of the 20^th January, identification of the organizers and participants of the crime and submission of these materials to the Supreme Council. All opportunities for it were available.

There was direct evidence of the crime and its consequences: the society was aware that the organizers of the crime are political leaders of the Soviet Union and the Azerbaijani SSR. However the deputy investigation commission delaying the decision taking only in two years after the tragedy – just only after liquidation of Communist Party of the Soviet Union and collapse of the Soviet state - submitted its conclusion to the National Council of the Supreme Council. The conclusion of the Commission despite of gravity of the crime, had superficial character and in fact consisted of well-known judgments and conclusions. The evaluation of the tragedy in this document did not meet the degree of its significance. The document noted guilt of the leadership and the government of the Soviet state which did not exist any more, but there was attempt to pass over in silence the responsibility of the Azerbaijani leadership. There is no need to prove that it did not not require two years to draw such conclusions . Despite of indicated shortages in the work and conclusion of the deputy commission, actual materials and some conclusions contained in the submitted conclusion, gave to the National Council the opportunity to give comprehensive political evaluation of the tragedy of the 20^th January. However the National Council instead of evaluation of the January events by the decision of January 19, 1992 just contented itself by approval of the conclusion of the deputy investigation commission, admitted it as satisfactory.

Thus, the tragedy of the 20^th January was not given political and legal evaluation in the decision of the supreme legislative body of the Azerbaijan Republic. It is necessary to note, that the National Front of Azerbaijan repeatedly demanded the political evaluation of the tragedy during the period of communist regime in the republic, being in power more than a year (former President of the Azerbaijan Republic Abulfaz Elchibey, former Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan Republic Isa Gambarov) did not use its opportunities to give political evaluation of the tragedy. Thus except the decision of the extreme session of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijani SSR of January 22, 1990 the evaluation of the events of the Bloody January has not affected in any decision, statement and other official documents at the state level. In spite of the fact that the actual materials selected by the deputy investigation commission enabled to investigate this crime by the law-enforcement agencies, they have not taken any concrete practical steps. During 4 years after these events, the heavy crime committedagainst the people by the leadership of former USSR and Azerbaijan, remained unopened.

In the decree of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic Heydar Aliyev of January 5, 1994 "On conduction of the fourth anniversary of the tragedy of the 20^th January" is noted that so far the legal evaluation of the tragic events in Baku on January 20, 1990 is not given, and holding of special meeting of the National Assembly is recommended. Materials available for the Supreme Council, Administration of the President, Prosecutor Office of the Azerbaijan Republic, Ministry of National Security, Interior Ministry, Central Archival Office, as well as the conclusion of the deputy investigation commission were used by drafting commission created in period of considering of this issue in the National Assembly of the Azerbaijan Republic. The National Assembly of the Azerbaijan Republic, taking into consideration the recommendations of the President of the Azerbaijan Republic about political and legal evaluation of the events of the 20^th January and taking into account judgements and arguments expressed during the discussion of the issue, as well as detected facts, decrees

1. To consider that the entering of the Soviet Armed Forces on January 20, 1990 into Baku city and some regions of the republic with the purpose to suppress increasing national-liberation movement in Azerbaijan, humiliate national dignity, destroy faith and will of the people who stood up for creation of the democratic, sovereign state, demonstrate of strength of the Soviet military machine to any people which has entered on this path, and as a result of it annihilate ruthless cruelly of the unarmed people who went into the streets to protect the truth and justice, is the armed aggression and crime committed by totalitarian communist regime against the Azerbaijani people.

2. To note that the leadership of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Soviet state and government, and personally Mikhail Gorbachyev, encroaching on the sovereignty of Azerbaijan and organizing the tragedy the of 20^th January for suppression of national movement with the purpose to realize their old imperial claims covered by notorious communist ideology, have committed heavy crime against the Azerbaijani people.

3. Responsibility for the military aggression carried out against the people has the leadership of Communist Party of Azerbaijan. To note, that Abdurahman Vezirov as the direct organizer and participant of the aggression, Ayaz Mutallibov, Viktor Polyanichko, Vagif Huseynov as the direct accomplices of the crime who gave permission for entering of soviet troops into Azerbaijan and use them against the people with purpose to suppress the national movement, who didn’t provide the safety of the citizens to keep their leading position made treachery of the Azerbaijani people.

4. To note that the Chairwoman of Presidium of the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan SSR Elmira Gafarova, the first secretary of the Baku City Committee of Communist Party of Azerbaijan Muslim Mamedov, who being officials and have political responsibility, have not taken any concrete measures in connection with entering into Baku city of military units of the Soviet empire and have not provided safety of the citizens.

5. To note that the commission created according to the decision of Plenum of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Azerbaijan (the chairman Afrand Dashdamirov), had purposes to conceal from the people point of the crime and real organizers of the January tragedy.

6. To note that the deputy investigation commission of the Supreme Council of the Azerbaijan Republic (chairman – Mitat Abbasov, deputy chairman – Tamerlan Karayev) has done determinate work for investigation of the tragedy of the 20^th January. However it having for the purpose to cringe to the leadership of the republic, has delayed considering of the issue and in the name of political situation it passed over in silence the fault of some persons. To consider the conclusions of the Commission concerning to evaluation of the January events, insufficient.

7. To note that the National Council later known as National Assembly of the Azerbaijan Republic have not expressed its attitude to the tragedy of the 20^th of January which took place in the life of the Azerbaijani people, but only have recognized activity of the deputy investigation commission as satisfactory.

8. To consider the activity of the former leaders of the law-enforcement agencies of the republic connected with investigation of this crime within four years passed after the events of January 20, 1990 as unsatisfactory. To note that the activity of the law-enforcement agencies directing at definition of degree of fault of persons who put obstacles in identification of the real organizers of the Bloody January which led to the death and injury of hundreds people in Baku and some regions of Azerbaijan, and also in disclosure of the point of this tragedy within last four years, was unsatisfactory. To charge to the General Prosecutor of the Azerbaijan Republic to ensure completion of this issue at the earliest possible date and call to account of guilty persons according to the procedure providing by the law.

9. Taking into account great political importance of the January tragedy in history of the Azerbaijani people, as well as with the purpose to perpetuate memory of persons perished for freedom and independence of Azerbaijan, to build memorial complex in Baku city.

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