Azerbaijan.US
Thirty-six years have passed since the events of January 20, 1990, which remain etched in Azerbaijan’s history as the Black January tragedy.
The roots of the tragedy lie in the renewed escalation of the so-called Nagorno-Karabakh issue in late 1987, which targeted Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, led to the occupation of its lands, and resulted in the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis from Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
The tacit and, at times, direct support of the Soviet leadership for the territorial claims of the Armenian SSR, combined with separatist actions by radical nationalist groups, widespread violence against Azerbaijanis, and the indecisiveness of the then Azerbaijani leadership, triggered a powerful public response. As a result, a broad civic movement emerged, gradually evolving into a national liberation struggle.
On the night of January 19–20, 1990, Soviet troops-acting on direct orders from the USSR leadership-entered Baku and several regions of Azerbaijan. Units from the Ministry of Defense, the State Security Committee, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs used heavy military equipment and live ammunition against civilians. The occupation of Baku was marked by exceptional brutality.
Before the state of emergency was officially announced, 82 people were killed and 20 others fatally wounded. In the days that followed, 21 more civilians were killed in Baku. Additional fatalities were reported in regions where no state of emergency had been declared, including Neftchala and Lankaran.
In total, 147 people were killed and 744 injured in Baku and surrounding areas as a result of the unlawful military operation. The victims included women, children, the elderly, medical workers, and police officers.
The intervention was accompanied by mass arrests. More than 840 civilians were detained, with over 100 transferred to prisons across the Soviet Union. Residential buildings, vehicles-including ambulances-and both public and private property were destroyed or damaged during the operation.
The actions of Soviet forces displayed characteristics later condemned by international law, comparable to crimes addressed during the Nuremberg Trials. In Azerbaijan, the victims of January 20 are remembered as martyrs, with their number reaching 150.
On January 21, the day after the massacre, national leader Heydar Aliyev publicly condemned the Soviet leadership and the authorities responsible for the bloodshed, issuing a statement from Azerbaijan’s mission in Moscow. The tragedy also drew condemnation from international observers and human rights advocates.
January 20 is observed annually in Azerbaijan as the National Day of Mourning, honoring the victims and reaffirming the country’s commitment to sovereignty and independence.
