Azerbaijani MP: 20 January tragedy could be avoided

How do you remember the bloody events of January 20, 1990? How those events can be characterized 20 years later?

It is like a dark forest with no visible way out of it. On one hand, prior to this event, the situation in society was becoming tense every passing day. Armenian nationalists were seeking to seize part of Azerbaijan’s lands with Gorbachev’s help.

You could see a clear resistance in the Azerbaijani society, but these actions were inconsistent and people lacked a leader who would clearly indicate the stages and ways to address this issue.

On other hand, people were powerless in their desires and actions.

At this time the state which was expected to ensure safety of its citizens committed an act of terrorism and shoot at civilians. The situation was desperate, but on the other hand, the Azerbaijani people put up a heroic resistance, they did not avoid unequal battle and fight.

The Azerbaijani people have always wanted Heydar Aliyev to return to power. We all had a feeling that this would not happen should he had been in power.

In your opinion, could this tragedy be avoided?

Unfortunately, history has no place for the subjunctive mood. It has already happened. On the other hand, history is needed to draw conclusions and prevent similar events in future.

Theoretically, it would be possible to avoid this tragedy. This would not had happened if the actions of the Armenian nationalists had not been supported by political leadership, if the Constitution and laws of the Soviet Union had not been violated and if there had been experienced people with good knowledge of the scale of the problem and with a clear program to address this issue among leaders of the national movement.

Who, in your opinion, is to be blamed for this tragedy?

Of course, first and foremost,  Armenian nationalists who made claims to territories, history and culture of Azerbaijan must be to blamed for this. Of course, the political leadership of the Soviet Union must also be blamed since it encouraged the Armenian nationalism giving rise to its expansion and realization of its dirty desires and did nothing to prevent violence, but on the contrary, contributed to this crime.

Those who considered themselves leaders of the national movement and who were not aware of a burden on their shoulders and who were used for other purposes are also responsible in this respect. All conditions were provided to ensure that heads of the popular movement were inexperienced people with no clear program.

What should be done to punish the perpetrators of the tragedy? What Azerbaijan is doing for this now?

Following these events, the USSR Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case on the massive loss of life in Baku during the massive killing of citizens at a time of an emergency situation. About 68 volumes of materials were collected on the case. A criminal case was closed for no good reason in December 1990 attributing it to lack of corpus delicti.

Why almost 150 innocent people were killed then? In 1992, the Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan resumed the case, but until now, Azerbaijan has not received copies of those volumes.

The investigation into this issue in Azerbaijan is still going on. There is an active correspondence with Russia's formal structures, but, unfortunately, there are still no results. At the same time, I think that sooner or later the perpetrators will be brought to justice and answer for their misdeeds.

N. Abdullayeva