Memorial event dedicated to the 33rd anniversary of the National Mourning Day January 20 was held
20.01.2023 /The Institute of Control Systems (ICS) of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan held a memorial event dedicated to the 33rd anniversary of the National Mourning Day January 20. The event was attended by the institute's administration, heads of departments and laboratories, scientists and specialists.
A minute of silence was observed to honor the memory of the victims of the tragedy. Then a video dedicated to the January 20 tragedy, prepared by the ICS staff, was shown.
Opening the event, General Director of ICS, Academician Ali Abbasov spoke in detail about the history and causes of the events of January 20, one of the most cruel and terrible crimes against humanity. He noted that on the night of 19-20 January, 1990, the Soviet regime, aiming to suppress the Azerbaijani people's determination and aspiration for freedom, undermine their unity, committed an unprecedented criminal act. Units of the Soviet army without warning entered Baku city and other areas, ruthlessly massacring the civilian population. As a result of this aggression 146 people were brutally killed, 744 people were wounded, more than 800 people were arrested.
Speaking about the consequences of the bloody January events, A. Abbasov said with regret that the then leadership of Azerbaijan had shown indecision and had been unable to take the appropriate action. He said the strongest statement about the terrible genocide committed against the Azerbaijani people has been made by National Leader Heydar Aliyev. The great leader, despite pressure from the Soviet regime, took steps to convey to the world the will of the people for freedom, the voice of truth. The academician noted that on the day following the tragedy, January 21, Heydar Aliyev had held a press conference at the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan in Moscow, and thus the first political assessment of the tragedy had been given. A. Abbasov noted that it had been after Heydar Aliyev's return to political power at the special session of Milli Majlis held on March 29, 1994 that the events of 20 January had been first discussed at the state level and condemned as a criminal act against the Azerbaijani people.
Describing the political period after the tragedy, which was marked with difficult processes, A. Abbasov stressed that this tragedy, committed by the unjust Soviet leadership, had failed to break the yearning of the powerful Azerbaijani people for independence. He noted that under the leadership of the great leader our nation, which has always stood straight before the ongoing political processes and did not retreat from the liberation struggle, brought its voice to the world and took its rightful place among the advanced countries as an independent state.
A.Abbasov noted that today the head of state Ilham Aliyev honorably continues the political course of the national leader, and talked in detail about the political, economic and social processes aimed at the comprehensive development of the state. The academician said the spirits of great leader Heydar Aliyev and all martyrs who had given their lives for independence and territorial integrity of our country were happy today. As a result of the fact that the glorious Azerbaijani army under the leadership of the President of the country, the victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev put an end to the 30-year long yearning of the nation and liberated our lands from the Armenian occupation, the 44-day war was written with golden letters in the world history as the most important victory of the recent years of the Azerbaijani people.
At the end of his speech, the academician, stressing that January 20 is remembered not only with pain and sorrow, but also as a day of honor, shared his memories, honored the memory of the victims of the tragedy and expressed confidence that their bright memory will always live in our hearts.
Rahila Sadigova, PhD in Engineering, in her speech gave detailed information about the history and political causes of the tragedy of January 20. She noted that back in the 1980s, the Soviet leadership, which had favored the Armenians who sought to grant independence to Nagorno-Karabakh and encroached on the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, committed a number of crimes, deported Azerbaijanis from Karabakh and Yerevan and organized the Sumgayit events.
She noted that on January 19, 1990 Mikhail Gorbachev signed a decree declaring the state of emergency in Baku, in flagrant violation of Article 71 of the Constitution of the USSR. However, the plan of reprisal against the civilian population in Baku was carried out in secret, the power unit of Azerbaijani television was blown up. The population, unaware that the state of emergency was declared at night, was subjected to ruthless massacre, atrocities unprecedented in the history of mankind. Among the victims were minors, women, elderly and disabled people.
Stressing that the story of January 20 is not only one of the terrible tragedies that befell the Azerbaijani people, but also a symbol of the liberation struggle, a heroic chronicle, R. Sadigova shared her memories and honored the memory of the victims of the tragedy.
Then Aygun Aliyeva, PhD in Economics, Head of the Public Relations Department of ICS, spoke about the consequences of the January 20 tragedy and shared her memories. Recalling the terrible moments of the tragedy of January 20, A. Aliyeva stressed the importance of holding such events all over the country in order to prevent the repetition of such events in the future. She said one of the main directions of the course pursued by Mr. President is upbringing of youth in the spirit of patriotism. The young generation brought up in the spirit of patriotism will never forget that the bloody tragedy of January 20 was the path of our people's struggle for freedom, that it is imprinted in the people's memory not only as a day of tragedy, but also as a day of honor. After honoring the memory of the victims of the tragedy, A. Aliyeva expressed confidence that the blessed memory of our martyrs will always live in our hearts.
Associate Professor Fakhrad Pashayev, Doctor of Engineering, Associate Professors Alekper Akhundov, Adalat Pashayev and Gulchin Abdullayeva spoke about the history and causes of the January 20 tragedy and shared their memories.
The memory of the martyrs, who gave their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, will live in our hearts forever!