On January 20, a conference titled “35 years since ‘Black January’ in Baku in 1990: Military Interventions on the Eve of the Breakup of the Soviet Union” was held at the University of Graz, Austria.

Initiated by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Austria and co-organized by the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center), the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research on the Consequences of War, and the University of Graz, the event brought together the students and teachers of the university, representatives of scientific research centers, and experts on international relations.

Barbara Stelzl-Marx, the Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research on Consequences of War, Rovshan Sadigbayli, the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Republic of Austria, and the Permanent Representative of Azerbaijan to the OSCE and other International Organizations in Vienna, delivered opening remarks.

Chairman of the Board of the AIR Center Farid Shafiyev, Deputy Director of Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Research on Consequences of War Peter Ruggenthaler, Cold War Studies Program at Harvard University Mark Kramer, Research Fellow at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Nadia Boyadjieva made presentations on the relevant topics.

According to the speakers, the major objective of the Soviet-orchestrated bloodshed was to ruthlessly suppress the freedom movement in Azerbaijan, the use of force against the civilian population, and the gross violation of human rights.

At the same time, it was emphasized that this tragedy has not yet received legal and political assessment at the international level. The speakers drew attention to the lack of media coverage of the events in the West at that time and the measures taken by National Leader Heydar Aliyev in delivering the truth to the international community.

It was noted that the use of force against civilians on January 20, 1990, could not break the determination of the Azerbaijani people to fight for freedom and independence, and the beloved memory of the Azerbaijani martyrs is commemorated with deep respect in various regions of the world, including Austria.

The participants of the conference also stressed the necessity of conducting scientific research in order to raise more awareness about the January 20 tragedy.

The event featured the screening of a documentary film dedicated to tragic events.