Member of the US House of Representatives and Co-Chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus Steve Cohen made a statement on the 33rd anniversary of 20 January tragedy.
According to Report's local bureau, the statement speaks about the Black January Night as one of the most tragic events in the history of Azerbaijan.
On January 20, 1990, Soviet military formations of 26,000 men armed with heavy equipment opened fire on civilians who had taken to a peaceful demonstration in Baku. As a result of this attack hundreds of people were killed and injured.
It was emphasized that as a result of these merciless actions, 147 residents were killed, 800 were injured, 841 were arrested, and 5 people were missing.
He expressed condolences to the families of the martyrs who died for the independence of Azerbaijan.
The statement also noted that the Azerbaijani people continued their struggle for independence in 1991 despite these merciless actions.
The document emphasized that the United States was one of the first states to recognize the independence of Azerbaijan, and that they established diplomatic relations on February 28, 1992, which continue to this day.