Stockholm reveres memory of 20 January victims

The Congress of Azerbaijanis in Sweden held an event on the twenty-first anniversary of the Jan. 20 tragedy in Stockholm. Azerbaijani Ambassador to Sweden Rafael Ibrahimov and Azerbaijanis living in Sweden attended the event.

The event began with a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the tragic events of 1990. Afterward, a 10-minute film about the Karabakh war was screened. It was noted that the events that happened 21 years ago became a powerful impetus to the national liberation movement of the Azerbaijani people from Soviet power.

Deputy Secretary General of the Congress of Azerbaijanis in Sweden Eliyar Maharramov said the people behind these tragic events must be sentenced.

"Unfortunately, there is no power that organized these events. But those responsible must be punished," Maharramov said in an interview with Trend. "The events of those years, in fact, became a powerful impetus to the beginning of the struggle for Azerbaijani independence. "

The Soviet army commenced military operations against Azerbaijan early morning Jan. 20, 1990, before declaring a state of emergency. The tragedy claimed the lives of 131 people, including 117 Azerbaijanis, six Russians, three Jews and three Tatars. Some 744 people were severely injured. Four went missing and 400 were arrested. Twenty-one people were killed after a state of emergency was declared on Jan. 20. Twenty-six people were killed in the Neftchala and Lankaran regions.


/Trend/