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| Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Korea Ramzi Teymurov gives a presentation about Black January at the country's embassy in Yongsan District, Seoul, Jan. 20. Korea Times photo by Kwon Mee-yoo |
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Jan. 20 is an epoch-making day in Azerbaijan's history, as a crackdown on civilians by the Soviet Army in 1990 played an important role in restoring the country's independence, which was proclaimed a year later.
Ramzi Teymurov, ambassador of Azerbaijan to Korea, said the tragedy, also known as Black January, has not yet been evaluated properly even after 32 years, despite the incident seriously violating international law.
"Although 32 years passed since the Jan. 20 event, which was a gross violation of the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention on Civil Rights and other international legal documents and was one of the serious crimes of the 20th century, we have not received an international legal assessment. This is unfortunately the failure of the international legal system of the world," the ambassador said during a commemorative event at the embassy in Seoul, Jan. 20.
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| A funeral of martyrs was held after Black January, which resulted in 131 causalities, in Azerbaijan's capital Baku in 1990. Courtesy of Embassy of Azerbaijan in Korea |
On Jan. 20, 1990, some 26,000 Soviet troops, under orders from the Soviet Union's leadership, invaded Azerbaijan's capital Baku and other cities including Sumgait to prevent the national movement against the Soviet government in Azerbaijan and break the Azerbaijani people's will for independence.
"We were having combat troops inside the capital of the country against the civilians, (so) you can imagine what the scope of devastation of this tragedy was," he said.
As a result of the crackdown, 131 Azerbaijani civilians were killed, 744 were wounded and 841 were illegally arrested just in Baku.
Ambassador Teymurov explained how the country overcame the massacre and paved its way to independence, which eventually led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The ambassador showed a series of photos of people carrying the bodies of victims as well as how the city looked after invasion.
"Here in this picture it shows that the Muslim, Jewish and Christian faith leaders held the public prayer together as a message of our shared values in 1990. If you go to Baku now, you will see similar religious tolerance. This is what makes us unique," he said. "We can gather together for our freedom, for our independence when it is needed, regardless of our faith and ethnicity."
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| Alley of Martyrs in Baku, Azerbaijan, is seen with the Flame Towers in the background, the tallest skyscrapers in the city. Courtesy of Embassy of Azerbaijan in Korea |
The Alley of Martyrs and the "Eternal Flame" Memorial Complex in Baku are examples of how the Azerbaijani people remember the heroism of those who perished in Black January for the sake of freedom and independence.
"According to international law, the events of Jan. 20 must be described as a crime against humanity. And its initial initiators and perpetrators must be brought to justice," the ambassador said.
