The events of January 20, 1990 are not only a tragedy for the Azerbaijani people, but also one of the most glorious pages of their history, the peak of the rise of the national liberation movement. January 20 is the day we recognize and understand ourselves as a nation. On that day, Baku was painted red, the dawning morning was colored by the blood of our martyred sons and daughters, and the cry for freedom of our people was drowned under the tracks of Soviet tanks. As a result of this action by the former USSR leadership, which aimed to stifle the struggle of the Azerbaijani people for democracy and national freedom, unprecedented atrocities were committed in Baku on the night of January 19-20, 1990. Innocent people, children, the elderly, and women were killed, and hundreds of people suffered various degrees of bodily injury. The brave sons of the Motherland, who valued the freedom, honor and dignity of their country and people above all else, sacrificed their lives and rose to the peak of martyrdom. As a result, we gained the independence we had been dreaming of for many years and our country gained sovereignty. The events of January 20, 1990, were forever etched in the memory of history as one of the greatest events confirming the national integrity of the Azerbaijani people. This tragedy united the people like a fist and expressed the strength of Azerbaijanis all over the world. Although the January 20 tragedy shook not only Azerbaijan but the entire world, local authorities preferred to ignore what happened in silence, not wanting to incur the wrath of the Kremlin by demonstrating their indifference to the people's national tragedy. In those difficult and tragic days, with his courageous statement in Moscow, born of civic zeal and true patriotism, regarding the events of January 20, it was Heydar Aliyev who conveyed the true voice of our people to the world. It was Heydar Aliyev who first courageously declared to the whole world that an act of genocide had been committed against the Azerbaijani people. This statement, which gave impetus to the organization of Azerbaijanis around the world as a nation, united our compatriots around the only political figure and national leader capable of bearing historical responsibility for the fate of the people. Heydar Aliyev, who considered the events that took place to be contrary to law, democracy, and the principles of state building, called the killing of hundreds of people a crime against the Azerbaijani people and demanded a political assessment of the event. Although the first task of the forces in power after January 1990 was to analyze the tragedy, identify the perpetrators, and provide a political and legal assessment at the state level, despite the insistent demands of the republic's population, virtually no action was taken in this regard. The extraordinary session of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan, convened on January 22, 1990, left its work unfinished and did not continue the discussion of this issue in subsequent sessions. The work of the Supreme Soviet commission that was supposed to investigate the January events also remained unfinished, because the incompetent leaders who led Azerbaijan to this tragedy, lacking any sense of patriotism and also being captives of their own personal ambitions, intended to blind the people. On the initiative of Heydar Aliyev, who returned to his homeland from Moscow in July 1990, on November 21 of that year, the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic adopted a document that provided the first political and legal assessment of the January 20 tragedy. This decision, adopted by the Nakhchivan Supreme Assembly and giving the first political and legal assessment of the January 20 tragedy, and at the same time embodying the general opinion of the Azerbaijani people, went down in history as a manifestation of Heydar Aliyev's determination. Heydar Aliyev proved that he was not afraid to defend the rights of his nation without hesitation even during the Soviet Empire. The document demanded that the republic's leadership provide a political and legal assessment of the January 20 tragedy at the republican level. Even after our country gained independence, none of those in power until 1993 had the courage to reveal the true truth about the tragedy. On the contrary, those who led the state at that time tried to make our people forget that day by making or having made various superficial decisions. As a result of the cowardice and betrayal of those in power in those years, this tragedy was almost forgotten, as were the criminals who committed it. There is no other name for such indifference from those who should be responsible for the fate of the people than betrayal. The failure to give a political and legal assessment to this tragedy of our people, which took place during the first three years after the January events, is actually perceived as a betrayal of the Azerbaijani authorities that were in power at that time to their own people. Only after the return of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, to the leadership of the country, was the true essence of the events of January 20, 1994, revealed in legal terms, precisely at the initiative and with the direct participation of the Great Leader. At a meeting held on January 12, 1994, Great Leader Heydar Aliyev said about this: "...The people were raped, and the perpetrators have not yet been identified. It seems that in recent years, the Soviet Union, the republic's leadership, and responsible individuals have not revealed to the people the true nature of this great tragedy for the sake of their own interests." Heydar Aliyev always paid great attention to perpetuating the memory of the martyrs of January 20 and strengthening state care for their families. The Great Leader visited the Alley of Martyrs every year on January 20, met with the families of martyrs, and inquired about their concerns. The "Eternal Torch" monument complex, which stands today in the Alley of Martyrs, was built on the initiative of Heydar Aliyev as a sign of respect for the memory of the martyrs. By a decree signed by Heydar Aliyev in 1998, the honorary title "January 20 Martyr" was established. The decree signed by the Great Leader on January 5, 1994, regarding the celebration of the 4th anniversary of the January 20 tragedy, also recommended that the Milli Majlis give a full political and legal assessment of the event. President Ilham Aliyev's decree "On the thirtieth anniversary of the January 20 tragedy" states this: "The tragedy, which was not thoroughly investigated and adequately assessed in Azerbaijan, was given a political and legal assessment at the state level only a few years later, at the initiative of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev. The Resolution adopted by the Milli Majlis on March 29, 1994 specifically named the perpetrators of the January 20 tragedy, and this bloody action was assessed as a military aggression and crime committed by the totalitarian communist regime to stifle the national liberation movement in Azerbaijan and break the people's trust and will." Today, President Ilham Aliyev, who successfully continues the political course of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, pays special attention to honoring the memory of martyrs and resolving the social issues of martyrs' families. Every year on January 20, he visits the Alley of Martyrs and lays a wreath in front of the "Eternal Flame" monument complex. President Ilham Aliyev has made important decisions to perpetuate the memory of our sons and daughters who were martyred in January 1990, to keep their names high, and to strengthen the social protection of their families and children. By the decree of the Head of State dated January 19, 2006 "On the establishment of the pension of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the family of the January 20 martyr", a pension is provided to the families of martyrs in order to increase state care. At one of the highest points in Baku, there is an address that has become a sacred place for every Azerbaijani. This is the Alley of Martyrs, where the victims of the January 20 tragedy and the sons of the Motherland who died in the battles against Armenia's military aggression are buried. Namely, at the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, major repairs and reconstruction works were carried out on the Alley of Martyrs. Despite the fact that 36 years have passed since the bloody massacre committed by Soviet troops in Azerbaijan, our people always remember that terrible night, live with the pain of that tragedy, and express their deep hatred for those who committed this atrocity, betrayal, and disaster. The Azerbaijani people highly appreciate the sacrifice of their heroic sons and daughters and commemorate their memory with deep respect every year on January 20. Every year, a comprehensive plan of events is prepared and implemented at the state level, and the anniversary of the bloody massacre is celebrated in all cities and regions of the republic. The events of January 20 are also written as a heroic page in the history of the struggle for the freedom and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. In this sense, the tragedy has great significance in the history of Azerbaijan as a symbol of heroism in the struggle for the freedom, independence and territorial integrity of our country. The memory of the martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the freedom and sovereignty of the homeland will always live in our hearts.