On Tuesday, 20th of January 2009, in Bucharest, at the Heydar Aliyev Foundation's Representation in Romania, took place the manifestation dedicated to the 19th anniversary of the 20th January tragedy. The event was organized by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Romania and Heydar Aliyev Foundation's Representation.

        Representatives of the Azerbaijan community, the ambassador of Azerbaijan to Romania, H.E. Mr. Eldar Hasanov and the representatives of the diplomatic mission, Romanian officials, members of the Parliament, the representatives of Heydar Aliyev Foundation's Representation and of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan in Romania, the board members of the Friendship Association Romania-Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan-Romania Youth Cultural Association, remarkable representatives of the intelligentsia, other Azerbaijan citizens and journalists participated at the event. After a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the 20th of January's tragedy, the ambassador of Azerbaijan to Romania informed the participants, about the events from that bloody day - the outrageous repression which took place in Baku, in the night of 19th to 20th of January 1990, organized by the Soviet Army.

        He noticed that during the night of 19th to 20th of January 1990, the Soviet special military formations with armored military equipment had entered into Baku and Sumgait, and also in many regions of the Azerbaijan. Hundreds of civilians were killed, injured, and disappeared, including old people, women and children - people that rose to fight for their native land, independence and sovereignty; were caused serious prejudices to the administrative buildings, houses and infrastructure.

        As a consequence of the common intervention of the Ministry of Defense and Internal Affairs, of the Committee of state security of the former USSR, well-heeled troupes, entered from several sides into Baku, and only in the capital city alone were killed with an extreme cruelty more than 130 civilians, more than 600 were injured, serious destructions were caused. During the assault, forbidden bullets were used, the fire was open even on ambulances and doctors, who carried injured people, many medical assistants were injured, and they became Shahids.

        A political-juridical evaluation of this tragedy was first made by the national leader Heydar Aliyev. Yet, at 21st of January 1990, he came at the Azerbaijan Representation in Moscow and expressed his attitude towards this atrociously event. The great leader, asked for a political and a juridical evaluation of the Baku's repression, so that the responsible people to be punished, in order to immortalize the memory of the Shahids, declaring this date, national day of mourning. At his initiative, for the first time, Milli Medjilis realized an official political and juridical evaluation of this event, it was declared that the aim of this action was to suppress the fight of Azerbaijan people for freedom and independence.

        During the event, the documentary "The Way to Freedom" was presented.