January 20 tragedy martyrs remembered in Italy
January 20 tragedy martyrs remembered in Italy
A commemoration ceremony on the 35th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy was conducted at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Italy.
The ceremony started with one minute of silence to honor the martyrs who died for the freedom and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan, who is being represented in Italy by Ambassador Rashad Aslanov, discussed the meaning of January 20 for Azerbaijan, marking the exemplary role that the processes of this day had in the path of Azerbaijan's independence.
The ambassador went on to comment that on January 20, 1990, the Soviet government perpetrated a massacre of individuals who had taken to the streets in protest against the violation of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and defense of freedom, sovereignty, and independence principles. In his view, the Soviet troops' military intervention in Baku and other areas led to the slaughter of 147 civilian populations. He also mentioned that on January 21, National Leader Heydar Aliyev came to the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan in Moscow to be among people and became politically the first to condemn the tragedy. After that, based on his initiative, the Milli Majlis (National Assembly) adopted the first political and legal document of recognition of the January 20 tragedy.
Rashad Aslanov stressed that as a result of the Victory gained in the 44-day Patriotic War led by Victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, and successful anti-terrorist operations held in September 2023, restoration of the complete sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan has given special modern significance to the date of January 20. He remarked that the souls of all the martyrs who had sacrificed themselves for Azerbaijan's independence and territorial integrity now rest in peace.
A segment of the initial video on the Bloody January tragedy was also presented at the event.
