Azerbaijan urges Nobel Committee to revoke Gorbachev’s Peace Prize for 1990 tragedy

In an open letter addressed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, representatives of Azerbaijan’s civil society, families of the January 20 martyrs, and veterans of the tragic 1990 mass murder have called for the revocation of Mikhail Gorbachev's Nobel Peace Prize.

The letter strongly condemns the Soviet leader’s role in the events that led to the deaths of 150 Azerbaijani civilians during the Soviet military’s crackdown in Baku and other regions on January 19-20, 1990, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The signatories of the letter demand that Gorbachev, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990, be stripped of the honor due to his direct responsibility for the mass killings that occurred on the night of January 20, 1990.

The letter asserts that Gorbachev's decision to deploy Soviet troops against unarmed civilians and use military equipment during the crackdown constitutes a violation of international human rights laws and is a crime against humanity. The massacre, they argue, was not only an attempt to suppress the Azerbaijani people's struggle for independence but also a premeditated state crime aimed at quelling peaceful protests against Soviet rule.

The letter draws parallels between the January 20 massacre and other historical instances of Soviet repression, including the brutal suppression of uprisings in Hungary in 1956 and Czechoslovakia in 1968. The authors express deep anguish that, despite the massacre, Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and they criticize the Nobel Committee for recognizing a man whose actions have been deemed as unjust and criminal by many, particularly in Azerbaijan.

“Every year, the people of Azerbaijan mark the anniversary of the mass murder of a total of 150 people as a result of the deployment of Soviet troops to Baku and several regions of Azerbaijan on the night of January 19-20, 1990, and the use of military equipment and various types of weapons against the civilian population. People curse the executioner Mikhail Gorbachev and express their utmost hatred for the perpetrators of this tragedy,” the letter says, emphasizing the widespread outrage felt by the Azerbaijani public.

The letter highlights the deep resentment towards Gorbachev and his role in the tragedy, asserting that the bloodshed did not diminish the resolve of the Azerbaijani people, who would go on to regain independence the following year.

The appeal calls on the Nobel Committee to correct this historical wrong, urging them to revoke Gorbachev’s Nobel Peace Prize in order to restore the moral authority of the award and demonstrate the world’s commitment to justice. The signatories express hope that the Committee will heed their call and take a stand against the violation of the core values that the Nobel Peace Prize represents.

12:43

Representatives of Azerbaijan’s civil society, public activists, and members of families of the 20 January martyrs and veterans have issued an open letter to the chair and members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

In the letter, they have called for the revocation of Mikhail Gorbachev's Nobel Peace Prize, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

The appeal demands that Gorbachev’s Peace Prize be rescinded due to his actions during and after the January 20 tragedy, a pivotal event in Azerbaijan’s history.

The letter asserts that Mikhail Gorbachev holds direct responsibility for the tragedy of January 20, 1990, when, under his orders, Soviet troops launched a military operation in Baku that resulted in the deaths of 150 civilians and left many others wounded. These events have been widely recognized as a crime against humanity.

Azerbaijani civil society representatives have criticized Gorbachev for his role in the suppression of the Azerbaijani people during that period, which they argue undermines his claim to the Nobel Peace Prize.

The 20 January massacre, which occurred in 1990, involved the Soviet military’s violent crackdown on Azerbaijani civilians, leading to numerous deaths and injuries.

On the night of January 19-20, under direct orders from Mikhail Gorbachev, the then General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, military units from the USSR Ministry of Defense, the State Security Committee, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs entered Baku and surrounding regions, carrying out a brutal assault on the civilian population.

Using heavy military equipment and various weapons, the Soviet army deployed a large number of special forces and internal troops who showed unprecedented cruelty towards the peaceful residents. By the time a curfew was declared, 82 civilians had been killed and 20 others seriously wounded. Despite the curfew, Soviet forces continued their violence, murdering 21 more civilians in Baku in the days that followed. Additional killings occurred in areas not under curfew, with 8 more civilians losing their lives on January 25 in Neftchala and January 26 in Lankaran.

The Nobel Peace Prize 1990 was awarded to Mikhail Gorbachev "for the leading role he played in the radical changes in East-West relations".

By Vafa Guliyeva