Leila Unus: "Azerbaijanis are tolerant, but we cannot forget the lesson of January 20"

On January 20, Azerbaijan remembers the tragedy of 1990. On January 19-20 the Soviet Army occupied Baku. As a result, 133 people were killed, 744 - injured, 841 - arrested and 5 - missing. Since then January 20 has been the Day of National Grief in Azerbaijan. Leila Unus, human rights defender, head of the Peace and Freedom Institute in Azerbaijan was a member of executive body of the National Front in those dark days.

- What were the reasons for events of January 20, 1990?

- On January 4-5 the meeting of the National Front was held. There were representatives from Nakhichevan, Kazakh, Tavuz, Agdam, Sheka, Zakatala+ By this time in Nakhichevan a provocation had been committed: on the border with Iran boundary pillars were demolished. To tell the truth provocations were committed permanently. The situation was out of the Central Committee's control. The deputy first chairman of the CC of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, Viktor Polyanichko, had connections only with the radical part of the National Front. He was going to send to Moscow the documents which said that in Azerbaijan radical movement of Islamists and nationalists was started. The meeting of January 4-5 was the last meeting which could influence the events somehow. However, compromise wasn't achieved. The leader of the National Front, Abulfaz Elchibei, wasn't able to make decisions in stress situations. It was clear a provocation was prepared. Military forces had already come to Baku.

- What were the aims?

- The decisions were made by new-comers from Moscow. The aim was to demonstrate that people were uncontrolled and innocent citizens (Armenians) were being killed. Riots can be prevented by militia and army. But riot participants were promoted. They were killing people and militia was looking at it and did nothing. Honest people helped Armenians to survive and leave the country.

- If the position of the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party was taken by the other man, could these events be prevented?

- Personal qualities mean a lot. Vezirov couldn't take reasonable decisions. Mikhail Gorbachev seemed not to want shed blood, but he did it in Tbilisi and Baku. The blame is to be put on both of them, as well as for the authorities in Moscow and Azerbaijan. On January 19 a member of the CC of the Communist Party Afran Dashdamirov spoke on TV and said that there would be no state of emergency imposed. It's hard to say he deceived people on purpose or was deceived by the authorities too. However, people believed him. Next day military forces occupied the city and started shooting. It was provocation to kill people, make them scared and strengthen Soviet power.

- What did people want?

- The main issue was Karabakh. By this time Azerbaijanis were exiled from Karabakh. People wanted returning of Azerbaijan refugees to Armenia, establishing order in Karabakh as well as control of Azerbaijan in this territory.

- Did people speak against Soviet power?

- No. People didn't want Azerbaijan to become independent. All this started after January 1990.

- Some people say that on January 20 Azerbaijanis were first to shoot in Soviet soldiers.

- It's absolutely not true. I was there at that night. My husband and his friends were running through the city, watching what was happening, then coming back to me and telling what they had seen. We had two telephones in the building we used to live. The whole world was calling me, Los Angeles Times, BBC, Chicago Tribune, German Wave, Japanese radio. Not only journalists but also provocateurs were calling. They told me fake information. One of these lies was information that a group of Azerbaijanis shot dead Soviet soldiers. People had no weapon unlike soldiers.

- Could this blood shedding be prevented?

- Of course. If the authorities had been honest and good to people, these events could be prevented.

- Is January 20 somehow Independent Day of Azerbaijan?

- I cannot call it a victory. That day people who believed in Soviet power understood that the power which kills its people is against its population. People were united by the tragedy. Azerbaijanis are tolerant people, but we cannot forget the lesson of January 20.

Interview by Ramin Naziev, Baku. Exclusively to VK.