January 20 tragedy had a decisive influence on the formation of the national identity of Azerbaijan and became a turning point in the restoration of the independence of Azerbaijan, the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan said in a statement on January 20 – National Mourning Day, Report informs.
"Azerbaijani people, who were subjected to military, political and moral aggression of the Soviet regime 33 years ago, showed commitment to their historical traditions of struggle. On that tragic day, the sons of the motherland, who gave their lives in defense of justice wrote a brilliant page in the heroic chronicle of our people. On January 20, 1990, which was marked in our history as a day of tragedy, as well as of national pride, the Azerbaijani people conveyed to the world that they deserve to live free, sovereign and independent. Despite the fact that 33 years have passed, the events of January 20, one of the most terrible crimes committed in the 20th century, in which all international legal documents were grossly violated, were not given an international legal assessment.
"The leadership of the former Soviet Union is directly responsible for this crime. According to international law, the January 20 tragedy should be qualified as a crime against humanity, and its instigators and perpetrators must be punished," the statement reads.