Azerbaijan marks 20 January as President Ilham Aliyev visits Martyrs’ Alley

Azerbaijan marks 20 January as President Ilham Aliyev visits Martyrs’ Alley
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev lays a wreath at the Alley of Martyrs in Baku on 18 January 2026.
Azertag

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev visited the Alley of Martyrs to honour the memory of those killed on 20 January.

On 18 January, President Aliyev laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame monument.

The national anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan was performed.

The events being commemorated date back to the night of 19–20 January 1990, when Soviet army units and internal security forces entered Baku.

Dozens of civilians were killed during the operation. According to official estimates, 147 civilians died, 638 people were injured and 841 were detained.

The events of 20 January are widely seen in Azerbaijan as a pivotal moment in the country’s modern history and its path towards independence.

They are commemorated annually, with people gathering at the Alley of Martyrs in Baku to remember those who lost their lives.

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