January 20 tragedy victims commemorated in Los Angeles

The victims of the January 20 tragedy were commemorated at the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles.

The event organized by the Azerbaijani Embassy in the US, the event participants included diplomats, science and culture figures, heads and members of friendly communities, professors of local universities and others, Report informs.

At the opening ceremony, a minute's silence was observed to honor the memory of the January 20 martyrs.

Speaking at the event, Azerbaijan's Consul General in Los Angeles Ramil Gurbanov noted that January 20 is one of the bloody tragedies recorded in the history of the Azerbaijani people.

The event then featured the screening of a documentary on the events of "Bloody January".

Meanwhile, a ceremony was organized at the Permanent Representation of Azerbaijan to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in memory of the victims of the January 20 tragedy with the participation of members of the Azerbaijani community.

The event participants first paid tribute to the memory of the victims of the January events observing a moment of silence.

Addressing the event, Azerbaijan's Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe Fakhraddin Ismayilov noted the role of the events of January 20, 1990 on the path to freedom and restoration of independence. In his words, "Bloody January" became not only one of the most tragic pages in the modern history of Azerbaijan, but also an example of heroism of the Azerbaijani people. He recalled that the day after the tragedy, great leader Heydar Aliyev made a resolute statement in Moscow condemning the leadership of the Soviet Union, which had a significant impact on the liberation struggle of the Azerbaijani people. Ismayilov said the victory achieved due to the courage of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan under the leadership of victorious Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev and at the cost of the blood of our martyrs, rested the souls of the heroes of "Bloody January".

A documentary dedicated to the "Bloody January" events was then screened.