30 years passed from the date of the tragedy of January 20 which have entered the history of the Azerbaijani people as a bloody January tragedy. On January 16 the Constitutional Court honored the memory of shahids of January 20.

Judges and Staff of the Constitutional Court participated in a ceremony of honoring of memory.

At first, the memory of shahids of the tragedy was honored with a moment of silence.

The Chairman of Constitutional Court Farhad Abdullayev, speaking at a commemorative event, noted that on December 13 last year President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed an Order in connection with the thirtieth anniversary of the tragedy on January 20, and various events are being held in our country in this regard. Farhad Abdullayev stressed that the tragedy of January 20 is an important turning point in the history of independent Azerbaijan, the beginning of our path to independence. He said that the events of January 20, 1990 in Baku and other earlier tragic events in the history of Azerbaijan were another manifestation of a well-thought-out policy against our people. The events in Nagorno-Karabakh, which began under the protection of the Soviet leadership, the genocide committed against the Azerbaijani people and the expulsion of the Azerbaijani people from their ancestral lands in the territory of present-day Armenia are stages of this policy.

It was noted that the tragedy of January 20 had a decisive influence on the formation of the national identity of the Azerbaijani people, became an important turning point in the restoration of state independence. It was after this tragedy that the national liberation movement, having become even more active, became irreversible, the people saw their future only in Azerbaijan 's independence.

On the night of January 19-20, the imperial leadership, at the direction of former USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev, introduced Soviet armed groups into Baku, carried out an unprecedented massacre of the Azerbaijani people, thus grossly violating a number of articles of the Constitution of the USSR, as well as international treaties related to human rights. That night, when a military aggression was committed against our country in order to drown in the blood of the national liberation movement of the Azerbaijani people, innocent people were killed, more than 140 civilians were killed, hundreds of people were injured and illegally arrested. State property and private property suffered enormous damage.

It was noted that the national leader Heydar Aliyev, despite the danger to him and the lives of his family members, on 21 January 1990, having demonstrated political will, came to the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan in Moscow and strongly condemned the crime committed by the leadership of the USSR. This decisive step of the great leader Heydar Aliyev, aimed at bringing to the world public the truth about the crimes committed in Baku, was important. Having shown great courage, the great leader gave a tragedy of January 20 political and legal assessment, declared that this crime, committed by fault and as a result of betrayal of the then leaders of the USSR and the republic, is contrary to law, democracy, humanism.

It was stressed that the return of the national leader to political power in 1993 created conditions for the establishment of independent statehood in Azerbaijan. Important steps have been taken to bring to justice the instigators of this bloody event. In March 1994, at the initiative of the national leader Heydar Aliyev, Milli Majlis adopted a decree on the tragedy on January 20. This legal document considered the events of January 20 as military aggression and a crime against the Azerbaijani people.

Stressing that the great leader Heydar Aliyev lavished the state attentions of the Shahid family and disabled people, the Chairman of Constitutional Court said: President Ilham Aliyev, who successfully continues the political course of the national leader, as one of the important tasks set the solution at the state level of problems of Shahid families and persons who lost health, paid special attention to the memory of the Shahid, made important decisions. Presidential scholarship was appointed by order of the President of Azerbaijan to the families of January 20 Shahids, and the State constantly provides them with assistance. The first vice president, the president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mekhriban Aliyeva also always with special attention and care treats families of shahid, the lot of work aimed at their social security is carried out.

Summing up the commemorative ceremony, Farhad Abdullayev noted that the tragedy of January 20 will never erode from our memory, will forever remain in the history of mankind as one of the most heinous and bloody crimes against humanity. It was stressed that our people remember with great respect the heroic struggle of the brave sons of the Motherland, who gave their lives for freedom, highly appreciate their courage. We must defend our independence, gained at the cost of Shahid blood, make it eternal and irreversible. For this purpose, our youth should not forget these tragedies, which gave an important impetus to the national unity of the people, it is necessary for them to draw conclusions, to know the historical past of Azerbaijan.

The Chairman of Constitutional Court said: “The dynamic development of Azerbaijan, the growth of its military and economic power, the implementation of independent policy are ambiguous perceived by Armenia and its patrons. Today, the main purpose of the policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev is, as stated in our Constitution, is the development of a modern, civilized Azerbaijani state. We believe that the Azerbaijani army under the leadership of Supreme Commander Ilham Aliyev will free our lands from Armenian occupation. Azerbaijan is taking decisive steps in this direction.”

In conclusion, the documentary “January 20: Memory of the Blood of History” was shown.