Dear sisters and brothers, families of the martyrs and disabled the massacre of January 20 who suffers till now, honourable guests!
Today we commemorate the fourth anniversary of the tragedy of January 20. This event is the most tragic day in our history. This day in the night of January 20 a military, political, and spiritual aggression was committed against the people of Azerbaijan,a bayonet was thrusted into its trust , the worst crimes were committed against our nation. This crime caused a lot of changes in the life of the Azerbaijani people. At the same time this massacre was closely connected with the previous tragedies and events. Some years before the aggressive forces plan and implements into life to split Azerbaijan and occupy its territories.
To achieve it, it was necessary to break the will of our nation. The tragedy of January 20 was committed specially for this purpose.
On that day our valiant sons , brothers and sisters were killed and some others injured but still are living now. But it was also not the end . That day our people were humiliated . I’m sorry that our people who betrayed the nation and tried to hide this crime. It is already four years but this issue has not got its politically and legally appreciation.
At the same time I want to note that our nation managed to maintain its honor and dignity while lost their citizens. Our people proved that it is impossible to break his will. They continued the struggle for the independence and freedom and now Azerbaijan is an independent country and achieved its sovereignty and freedom.
I repeat once more that the essence of this day should not be measured by the number of the dead and injured. This day has a very important social -political sense. I regret that the state, the organs of the state did not correctly appreciate this tragedy and the cries of separate patriots were not heard but strangled . The culprits of this crime were not revealed and fairly trialed from political - legal point of view. I give my condolences to all the families of martyrs. I wish you patience! Be sure that I shall continue my efforts for investigating this crime and for estimating of this terrible tragedy.
Here I became aware of the problems of the families of martyrs, and injured persons related to the massacre of January 20. I did not know that these problems were not solved in the past four years. That’s why our meeting was very efficient. Immediately, I declare that I charged the commission to continue their job in future and take concrete measures for the investigation and solution all the problems in connection with this tragedy. This incident will be personally under my control. Be sure that we shall do our best and the solution of these problems. As the President I shall take all necessary measures by means of orders and decrees .
I want to share my opinion on an issue. Our first martyrs were buried here in the Martyrs ‘ Alley (before was called Hilltop Park ). They are the martyrs of this bloody tragedy. This is a sacred place, it is a spot for our pilgrimage and it will remain in the history like this. I think that we must erect a monument to the memory of the martyrs of January in order that to display their special role to the coming generations.
All the victims of the tragedy should be inscribed on this monument. Our people must always remember them. Our people had many martyrs throughout the history . Our country had an ancient and rich history. We had many martyrs .But the martyrs and the events of each time have thir particular importance. That’s why, this tragedy is very significant .That is why, this event must be specially marked.
As you know recently some problems have been clearified specially after the decree which I issued on January 5. Two days ago the chronicles of the decrees and documents and some explanations adopted in the last four years concerning of the tragedy of the January 20 were published in the news ”Azerbaijan”. When you read the decrees and documents you will be surprised once more and even horrified, enraged . In the last four years careless attention to this tragedy, inconsistent policy and finally concealing this tragedy were completely revealed.
The same day the 20th of January, was declared the day of mouring. After a while another day was declared. Later the date was declared the Day of Martyrs. Now I do not want to express my attitude to these decisions, Whether they are grounded or groundless, particularly I do not want to say that they are in consistence with the political sense and essence of that tragedy, but all this invites us to think, to look at them in the form of a complet and approach to the political essence.
You know that I disclose my opinion to this crime in my speech at the meeting and at the conferences held in Moscow in that period when I was under political pressure. On the same day in the permanent mission of Azerbaijan I expressed my condolences to the people of Azerbaijan. I phoned some persons with much difficulty and asked them to publish my condolence or deliver at the funeral ceremonies . Later I learned that none of my requests are fulfilled.
These days I was in grief. I followed the events as soon as possible. I felt nervous that none of the former leaders of the government participated in the funeral ceremony. Sheikul-Islam Allahsukur Pasa-zade and our intelligensia burring the murderedin the Alley of Martyrs. Remember it! If the former heads of the country did not participate in the funeral of martyrs at that tragic period, it proves that they were guilty of this massacre and since then they try to hide this tragedy.
How it can still remain unknown . The father of the martyrs who spoke here reminded me this event. During the investigation it was discovered that beds were prepared in hospitals, on January 16-17 the wards were prepared for patients . It’s right, tge wards were prepared, the surgeons were warned. Because this violence was arranged not only by Garbachov or by other leaders of the Soviet Union in Moscow and Communist Party. First of all it was arranged by the former leaders of the Communist Party of the Republic of Azerbaijan in order to suppress their own people , crush, oppress the liberation movement, insult the dignity of the nation.
This is the truth. It did not need great talent to reveal this truth. Unfortunately, they worked much in the last four years to hide this event. But they could not do it. Imagine that today the crimes committed hundreds, seventies years ago are exposed a few days ago the television of Moscow broadcasted information that they had investigated whether it was a revolution happened in 1921 in Khronshtat or not ,and it became clear that there had not been any rebel and the rebellious were justified after 73 years. After 20 years in 1956-1957 the repression of the Azerbaijani scholars in 1937-1938 was clarified and all of them were rehabilitated. Here we are not talking about the imprisonment of individual persons, though actually the criminals should bear responsibilty. Here are talking about the fair reflection of this event in the fate of the Azerbaijani people from political point of view. Therefore I have said and repeat once more : if a military-politically violence was committed against the people of Azerbaijan on the 20 January of 1990 and if this is a grave crime, then to conceal is more growe, it is treason against the people.
If yesterday you watched the live broadcast of the session of the Parlament , perhaps you saw the situation. Imagine the head of the commission, vice-president of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaycan, an academician, a scholar, a man out of common people, trying to hide these crimes for two years prove that it was as he said. I was obliged to hold a dialogue with him. Perhaps you heard it.
Now I raise my voice as I did it in 1990 on the 21st of January when lived in Moscow in hard conditions, when I could not live in Baku and lived in Nakhchivan, then I spoke at a session of the Supreme Soviet. Not for somebody but for the sake of nation. Here we speak of the history of the nation, of the aggression against the people, it is the top subject here. This crime was committed by the Soviet Union, the communist party and its leaders, on the other hand,it was committed by leadership of the communist party of Azerbaijan , the heads of the government of the country committed, it’s their fault.
Perhaps you do not know, in Moscow, on June in 1990 I declared of my leave from the Communist Party . I joined to the Communist Party in 1943 and faithfully surved it. But in 1991 in the Kremlin Palace I declared that I leave it. Why? I will find my letter and ask them to publish it. In those days they concealed my statement everywhere. I wrote the reason of my decision. The first reason was the disaster be fallen on the nation and the violence committed against the Azerbaijani people over the Garabagh conflict . The other reason is the tragedy of January 20, the crime which committed against the Azerbaijanis and its disclosure. That is why I left the Communist Party in 1991.
I note that I always tried hard to fulfill my duty as a citizen, today I am in the same position , it will be in tomorrow the same. I shall be the same for the justice as well for the sake of protection of honour, pride and national dignity of the Azerbaijan people.
But yesterday I saw in the session of Parlament that not only Academician Midhet Abbasov, but others also did not fair care for this event. Why? Because they are participants of this tragedy. I think that no one who committed this crime has the right to be a citizen of this country. The punishment of individual persons is not an important problem. The most important is to give a legal and political appreciation to this tragedy from historical point of view in order to move the future generation learn that the such a crime has been committed against the people, but the people have not lost the confidence and fairly appreciated all these crimes. Be sure, that I shall continue my efforts and taking the advantage of my opportunities I shall try to disclosure this crime correctly and give it a political-legal appreciation. In our country now has martyrs. We protect our home. But the martyrs of the 20 of January have a special place in the history. Our famous poet Bextiyar Vahab-zade wrote absolutely right: they became martyrs without fighting for the freedom of land, nation. Some ones say that it was necessary to warn the people not to go out and die. You know it seems to me very strange. The problem is that when the tanks arrived if everyone had stayed at home, nobody would have been hurt,was it possible? Then it would have been easy for the nation? It is a strange opinion.
I wish patience to their families! I am sure nor the tragedy of the 20th of January, the misfortunes fallen on the nation in past or the massacres to take place in future shall break the will of our people. The Azerbaijani people can protect their land and sovereignty, highly appreciating their history, heroic traditions. Now our soldiers protect the territory of the republic bravely and be sure that this is our just cause, our land ands our sovereignty are defended and will be defended hence reliably.
I am optimistic about the future and advise you the same, give up this complaints and groans. Our future goal is to strengthen the independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan, ensure its territorial integrity. Be sure that we shall achieve it. Thank you!