Israeli envoy commemorates January 20, 1990 tragedy victims

Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan George Deek paid homage to the memory of the January 20 tragedy martyrs in the Ally of Martyrs, Azernews reports.

“As we concluded the conference of Israeli Ambassadors, @AlizaBinNoun the Pol. Director of the @IsraelMFA led our visit to the Alley of Martyrs in Baku, to join the people of Azerbaijan in commemorating Black January. #20Yanvar,” the ambassador tweeted.

Meanwhile, preparatory work has been completed on the alley ahead of the 33rd anniversary of the January 20 tragedy.

The territory is under the constant control of the Executive Power of Baku city.

"Traditionally, special floral arrangements are prepared on the territory of the alley. Experienced specialists and landscape designers were involved in this work," the press service of the Baku executive authorities.

On January 20, 1990, 40,000 strong Soviet troops entered the Azerbaijani capital Baku from several directions, invading the city in a desperate, brutal, and yet futile attempt to strangle the growing independence movement and to prevent the fall of the Soviet communist regime in Azerbaijan and punish ordinary people who had rallied on the streets to voice their legitimate protest against the violation of their homeland's territorial integrity.

Some 137 people were killed, 611 were wounded, 841 were illegally arrested, and five went missing as a result of the intrusion of troops into Baku and other regions of the country.

January 20, 1990, is marked in the modern history of Azerbaijan as one of the most tragic days of the country, and at the same time as a heroic page.