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Azerbaijani Human Rights Commissioner issues statement on 20th anniversary of January 20 tragedy

18 January 2010 15:12 (UTC +04:00)

The statement says that on the night of January 19-20, 1990, under the instructions of the Soviet leaders, special military units and armored vehicles burst into Baku and Sumgayit, a number of Azerbaijani regions, committed savagery.
â€œHundreds of unarmed people, including the old, women and children were killed, wounded, went missing, administrative buildings, houses and transport vehicles were damaged. The war criminals burnt their bodies to hide the exact number of the victims. The troops, which burst into Baku as a result of the military operations carried out by the USSR Defense Ministry and Interior Ministry, State Security Committee, killed over 130 civilians, wounded 600 people. Banned bullets were used, the ambulances and doctors were fired at, several medical servants were wounded, killed.â€

The statement also notes that this tragedy was the beginning of the organized terrorist policy towards Azerbaijani people, was one of the heaviest blows to the series of terrorist acts.
â€œWith this crime the Soviet empire supported Armenian political forces, it resulted in the long-lasting Armenian aggression, ethnic cleansing, genocides against Azerbaijan, 20 percent of our territories have been occupied, the people have been deported from Armenia, Nagorno Karabakh and the seven surrounding regions, one million Azerbaijanis have been displaced.â€

Elmira Suleymanova underlines that January 20 tragedy has not received international legal assessment.
â€œWe believe that the world community, international organizations will support the right demands of Azerbaijan, this inhuman, antidemocratic, terrible crime accompanied by the violation of the human rights will soon receive its international legal assessment, the perpetrators will be punished.â€

The statement has been sent to UN Secretary General, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, OSCE, the Council of Europe, Institute of International and European Ombudsmen and other organizations, Asian Ombudsman Association, International Peace Bureau, Universal Peace Federation, human rights commissioners of various countries, Azerbaijani embassies abroad, foreign embassies in Azerbaijan and Diaspora organizations.