January 20 events of 1990 aimed to strangle Azerbaijan’s fight for independence – historian

By Trend

The January 20 tragedy restored the sacred concept of "martyrdom" in the public consciousness of the Azerbaijani people, and despite this shock, the people managed to preserve national unity, leading researcher at the Institute of History named after A.A.Bakikhanov of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), Doctor of Philosophy in History, Associate Professor Asad Gurbanli told Trend.

Gurbanli thinks that January 20 is one of the important stages in the history of Azerbaijan's independence.

“This is a symbolic moment that combined the general and typical features of the struggle of the Azerbaijani people for the independence and territorial integrity of the country,” the researcher added. "The January 20 tragedy became the culmination of the socio-political events of that period and, at the same time, the border between the new era and the history."

“An important change occurred in the awakened national consciousness of people during the January 20 events and people understood the inevitability of independence,” the researcher said. “People realized that freedom and independence is a reality for which it is necessary to be ready.”

“This crime against the Azerbaijani people was committed by the then Soviet leadership, which wanted to teach a lesson to the Azerbaijani people and other peoples living on the territory of the Soviet Empire,” Gurbanli said. “The January 20 events were aimed at strangling the struggle of Azerbaijan for independence, but the empire failed, and Azerbaijan gained independence."