'The tragedy of 20 January was biased support of the Kremlin for Armenia,' said Taras Kuzio.
Speaking to Eurasia Diary, British expert Taras Kuzion commented on the tragedy of Black January.
“The massacre of civilians in Baku 32 years ago was a product of three factors. Firstly, It was always mistaken to believe Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev was a “liberal.” Gorbachev was responsible for the suppression of protestors in Georgia in 1989 when 21 died as well as in the three Baltic States in 1991 when 20 were killed by Soviet forces.
Secondly, the Soviet KGB and Communist Party indicated biased approach towards Azerbaijan and its suppression and murder of 130 Azerbaijani patriots showed whose side the Kremlin was on in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Karabakh.
Thirdly, Soviet and from 1992 Russian support towards Armenia became blatant and overt when Russian forces assisted Armenians in securing victory in the First Karabakh War. The 1992 massacre of over 600 Azerbaijani civilians in Khojoly by Armenian forces and the 366th CIS (Russian) Guards Motor Rifle regiment was a continuation of Russia’s support for Armenia and continuation of its 1990 massacre in Baku”.
It should be noted that 32 years ago, on 19 January, 1990 a large number of Soviet troops under the order of the chairman of the Communist Party of Soviet Union, Mikhail Garbochev, was sent to Baku, and a state of emergency was declared in the city. The main aim of the deployment of troops in Baku by the Kremlin was to suppress the people’s demonstrations protesting the Soviet Union’s totalitarian policy and seeking freedom, solidarity and prosperity in their country. On 20 January night, the Soviet forces deliberately launched a brutal and violent crackdown on protesters as their tanks and other military equipment crushed the barricades.
As a result of the horrendous attack, over 132 innocent civilians were killed, 774 were wounded, and over 800 were arrested at one night. The Soviet tanks also caused huge damage to the apartments of the city.
