Baku – On On January 20, 1990, thousands of Azerbaijanis demonstrated for democracy, freedom and independence from the Soviet Union. As in other Soviet republics, people rebelled against the Soviet government under Mikhail Gorbachev, who promised liberal policies with slogans such as glasnost and perestroika. In the night from 19. on the On January 20, 1990, the Red Army marched into the Azerbaijani capital Baku with tanks and soldiers. This was intended to put a stop to any attempts at independence.
The massacre left a dark mark on the consciousness of Azerbaijanis
The soldiers fired live ammunition at demonstrating civilians, killing at least 147 people and injuring around 700. The Azerbaijani political scientist Asif Masimov describes the Baku pogrom as ” […] the first act of violence in the 70 years of the Soviet Union’s existence on its own territory, which almost completely escaped the attention of the world public.” Every year, commemorative events are held in Azerbaijan in honor of the martyrs killed by the Red Army. The massacre on January 20, 1990 left a dark stain on the consciousness of Azerbaijanis and is considered a caesura on the path to regaining independence for Azerbaijan. Irish historian Dr. Pat Walsh writes about the role of former Soviet head of state Gorbachev in this massacre:
“The man responsible for the massacre of 130 or more in Baku went on to win a Nobel Peace Prize in the same year as Black January and the tragic events of 1990 were quickly forgotten in the West.”
Dr. Pat Walsh
In Turkish and Azerbaijani historiography, the technical term mezalim has become established for mass violent crimes against the Muslim civilian population.